Head Over Feet
by Ellivia
Summary: What if Michael & Lauren had met when they were teenagers? Would it be love at first sight, or would the differences in their social status keep them apart?
1. Prologue

-1"Princess! Get up, you're going to be late!" her father bellowed from downstairs. The exhausted teenager groaned, burying her face in the fluffy pink pillow. She contemplated telling her father that she was sick to try and get out of going to school. Then she remembered what day it was and immediately jumped out of bed.

"Coming, daddy!" she yelled as she hurriedly made her way into the bathroom nearly tripping over her packed suitcases. After weeks of anxious anticipation she was finally leaving on her week long field trip to the car manufacturing capitol of the country. Not exactly the most glamorous destination, she mused, but it was part of her auto shop curriculum.

She could have enrolled in Spanish class and gone to Spain for a month or dined on delicacies in Paris with her French class. But she was pleased with her decision because besides Tina the tank and flat chested Sarah Fontane, she was the only other girl in a class full of gorgeous hunks who all but worshipped the ground she walked on.

Stepping out of the steamy hot shower, she smiled mischievously at her reflection in the mirror. A week away from home with hot boys, fake ID and little to no supervision. Yep, she was going to have a good time alright. Too bad her boyfriend had decided to tag along.

"I can't believe my baby girl is going to be gone for a whole week." her father said sadly as he helped carry her luggage down the stairs. "Though you would think you were moving out permanently with all of the suitcases you're taking with you!" he teased, getting nothing but a bemused eye roll from his daughter in response. "How are you going to fit all of this on the bus?"

"I don't _do_ buses, daddy." she said incredulously.

"Well then, how do you plan on getting there?" Just then the sound of a familiar car horn blared from the driveway. "Oh no, not Pretty Boy…"

"Daddy, be nice." she warned. Her father wasn't particularly fond of her boyfriend, but then again neither was she. But it made sense to date him. She was arguably the most popular girl in school and he was the captain of the football team. Their relationship was as clichéd and superficial as it sounded, but he was nice enough and she enjoyed spending time with him. The fact that he had his own corvette didn't hurt either.

"Honestly, sweetie. You could do so much better." her father said, bending down to hug his little girl goodbye.

"I know, but he'll do for now." she grinned conspicuously as she picked up her luggage and headed out the door.

"Call me when you get there." her father called out to her from the doorway as he watched his daughter hand her bags off to her doofus boyfriend.

"I will, daddy. I love you!" she yelled as she got in the car and put her seatbelt on.

"I love you too, sweetheart. And boy, you take good care of my baby girl or you're a dead man."

"Yes, sir. I'll be sure to keep an eye on her." her boyfriend assured as he revved up the car's engine. She rolled her eyes at his comment. Like hell he would keep an eye on her, she thought to herself, waving goodbye to her father as they pulled out of the driveway. She was determined to have a good time on this trip and she wasn't about to let her over protective boyfriend get in the way of that. Besides, she smiled to herself, what happens in Detroit stays in Detroit.

"Good afternoon and welcome to General Motors. I'm the assistant plant manager here at this fine facility and I'll be showing you around today." the middle aged, beer bellied man announced to the group of unenthused twelfth graders. She stood in the back filing her nails and glancing at the clock. Apparently this field trip involved shadowing GM employees during their shift, a fact that was conveniently left out of the trip's itinerary. Only at night were they allowed to go out on their own, and they had to be back at the hotel by 11pm at which time their curfew came into affect. She had never had a curfew before in her life!

"I should have just went to Paris." she mumbled to herself miserably.

"I'm sorry, did you say something?" the burly man singled her out, annoyed at having been interrupted.

"Um, yeah. Where's the ladies room?" she asked politely, giving him a flirtatious smile to seal the deal.

"It's, uh, it's down that hall and to your left." he said, flustered.

"Thanks." she winked at the grotesque older man, confident now that she had him wrapped around her little finger she could sneak off for the rest of the day without incident. Men were so easily manipulated, she thought to herself as she walked out of the room and started looking for the exit. She was so distracted thinking about what she was going to do now that she had the whole day in front of her that she didn't notice the guy walking towards her until she crashed right into him, knocking the box he was carrying to the floor.

"Sorry." she said , crouching down to help pick up the files that now littered the ground.

"Next time watch where you're going." he said gruffly, angrily stuffing the fallen contents back into the box he was holding. She stood up, folding her arms against her chest defiantly she glared down at him in astonishment.

"How dare you talk to me like that!" she said incredulously. He stopped what he was doing and sighed in frustration, still not looking up at her. "Do you have any idea who I am?" she asked condescendingly, knowing that he wouldn't. What would a minimum wage earning, pencil pusher from south Detroit know about high fashion.

"I don't give a rat's ass who you are." he declared dismissively, abruptly standing up to face her. "Just stay outta my…" their eyes met for the first time "…way." They stood there, just staring at each other. She was captivated by his eyes, they were so expressive. Chocolate brown in colour, full of curiosity, residual anger, and the most profound sadness she had ever seen. He looked away self consciously. When their eyes met again, any vulnerability that had been there before had been replaced with a look of contempt.

"What the hell are you staring at?" he asked, bending down again to finish picking up the files he had dropped.

"Nothing." she said defensively. No guy had ever spoken to her this way before. She wasn't sure how to react.

"Good. So instead of standing there like an idiot, why don't you make yourself useful and help me pick up these files." When she didn't move to do as he said, he stopped what he was doing and glared up at her. She glared right back, eyebrow raised in defiance. He stood up again, slower this time. Stepping over the box of files, he moved closer to her, invading her personal space. Every fiber of her being told her to move back, to walk out of the plant and never look back. But there was a challenge in his eyes, and she was determined to meet it.

He was standing directly in front of her now, his face mere inches from her own. She could smell him, all cheap cologne and that unique masculine scent. His warm breath on her face both terrified and thrilled her, though she remained expressionless. Slowly, discreetly, she reached into her purse and pulled out something she was sure would put an end to this little Mexican stand off.

"Tic-Tac?" she offered, holding the package of mints up to his face. She watched, fascinated as his eyes softened slightly. He tried desperately not to smile at her subtle insult but failed, his full lips slowly curling upward to reveal pearly whites. She had never seen anything more beautiful.

"You've got balls," he said as a compliment. At the amused look on her face he became flustered when he realized how that sounded. "I, uh. I mean you…"

"Thanks." she said sincerely. "I think."

"So, exactly who _am_ I talking to?" he asked in reference to her earlier pretentious comment. She smiled apologetically and reached out a hand.

"Lauren Fenmore." she declared nervously, although she had no idea why this strange guy's opinion suddenly meant the world to her. "And you are?"

"The name's M…"

"BALDWIN!" shouted another fat man in a suit standing at the other end of the hall. "What the hell are you doing?!"

"Nothing, sir." he said dutifully, his smile fading as he switched back into professional mode.

"Do we pay you to do nothing?" the man asked snidely and Lauren hated him instantly.

"No, sir."

"Well then I suggest you get back to work. And you," he said, giving Lauren the once over. "Is there anything I can help you with?"

"Yeah, can you tell me where you bought your belt? I didn't realize they made them that big, I could use one to tie luggage to the top of my car." Lauren deadpanned . The still nameless boy beside her stifled a grin when he saw his boss's shocked expression.

"What are you doing in here anyway? This area is for employees only." the older man declared once he had regained his composure. "Get the hell out of here before I call security."

"Yes, sir." Lauren mocked compliance as she saluted the annoyed plant manager. He shook his head, anger and embarrassment clearly evident on his face as he walked back into his office, slamming the door behind him.

"What a prick." Lauren said, glaring at the now closed office door. She turned to look at the beautiful brown eyed boy beside her, only to find him glaringly angrily at her once again. "Oh, what now?" she asked, frustrated at the way his emotions seemed to change every five seconds.

"I don't need you sticking up for me." he said defensively.

"Of course not. You were handling the situation so well on your own," she said sarcastically. "If I heard you call that pig 'sir' one more time, I was going to vomit! How can you suck up to that jerk?"

"That jerk signs my paychecks." he reasoned. "Unlike you princess, I actually have to work for a living. No rich mommy and daddy to support me."

"Screw you!" Lauren spat out in contempt. "You don't even know me."

"And I'd like to keep it that way." Lauren was shocked by how much his words stung. He must have seen the hurt in her eyes because she saw regret in his and he spoke the next words in a softer tone of voice. "Now, excuse me while I get back to work." The two stared at each other once again, Lauren knew she could get lost in those eyes of his if she let herself, so reluctantly she looked away and started walking towards the exit. She could hear him behind her picking up the rest of his files and stuffing them back in the box. She wanted to turn around, to say something, anything. But her pride kept her from giving into temptation. She had reached the exit and had her hand on the door when he called out after.

"It's Michael!" he yelled. Lauren turned around to look back at him.

"What?" she asked, confused.

"My name. It's Michael Baldwin." He clarified. She smiled warmly at him, realizing that he was giving her a peace offering. She was ridiculously happy that he hadn't let her just walk away, but she tried not to let her excitement show.

"Nice." she said nonchalantly. "I guess I'll see you around then, Michael Baldwin." And with that she walked out the door, already thinking of ways to get some alone time with the gorgeous Mr. Baldwin tomorrow when she returned to her job shadowing assignment. Suddenly the idea of spending a week at the GM plant didn't sound all that bad.


	2. Chapter One

-1**CHAPTER ONE**

"Alright everybody, listen up. Today each of you will be paired up with an employee working on the assembly line who will demonstrate how…" the door at the back of the room quickly opened and closed. "Well, how nice of you to join us, Ms?"

"Fenmore." Lauren declared, straightening her skirt before looking up at the man whom she had sweet talked the day before, only to discover that wasn't who she was speaking to.

"Well, Ms. Fenmore, I hope you have a change of clothes in that pretty little purse of yours," Lauren glared up at the man in front of her, "because there ain't no way I'm letting you near machinery dressed like that." It was the plant manager who she had told off yesterday. She wanted to wipe that smug grin off his double-chinned face.

"I thought the strict dress code was for upper management only? I didn't realize that everyone in the plant was required to dress like a slob." Lauren glanced down at his faded, mustard stained dress shirt in disgust. Some of her classmates tried to muffle their laughter as the enraged supervisor glared at her in anger.

"That smart mouth of yours just bought you a double shift." He declared. Lauren merely chuckled.

"I think you've mistaken me for one of your minions," She said snidely. "In case you've forgotten, I don't work for you."

"That's where you're wrong," the older man challenged. "I am the head supervisor in charge of overseeing this student apprenticeship program, and while you are here I am to treat you as I would any other employee. For the next week of your life, you won't eat, sleep or shit without my permission. You got that?" Lauren just glared at back at him defiantly. Who the hell did this guy think he was talking to? She opened her mouth to protest, but he interrupted her before she could start.

"Of course, you do have the option to leave. But considering that this job shadowing assignment is worth 50 of your overall grade, I don't think that is an option you can afford to take." Lauren was just about to inform, she squinted at the name tag pinned loosely over his left man-boob, Mr. Sinclair that she could buy this factory and everyone in it if she wanted to, but the snide retort stuck in her throat when she caught sight of a familiar pair of hazel eyes gazing at her from the other end of the factory. A small smile spread across Lauren's face as she turned her attention back to Mr. Sinclair.

"You're absolutely right, sir. This assignment is very important to me and I intend on completing it to the best of my ability," Sinclair looked at her quizzically. "And I apologize for the comments I made earlier. They were out of line and completely unprofessional." Lauren offered her hand to the confused man in front of her, smiling as though butter couldn't possibly melt in her mouth.

"Apology accepted," he said rather skeptically as he reached out and shook her hand. Lauren tried not to grimace as his big, sweaty palm made contact with her skin. "Now, go down to the Lost & Found on the main floor and find something more appropriate to wear, then report back here immediately." Lauren nodded in affirmation and turned to leave the room.

"Oh, and don't think this little change in attitude has gotten you off the hook. You'll still be working a double shift tonight." Lauren clenched her fists as she fought off the urge to turn around and tell the jerk off once and for all. But the thought of spending all day and night with the mysterious Michael Baldwin convinced her to keep her mouth shut as she walked out of the room, shuddering at the thought of wearing lost and found clothes.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Nice shirt," Adam Richardson , the second hottest boy in her class, teased when he caught sight of Lauren dressed in an oversized plaid flannel shirt and black leggings.

"Thanks. I borrowed it from your mom." Lauren shot back. A few of her other classmates laughed at her retort, catching the attention of Mr. Sinclair.

"Hey! Knock it off and get back to work!" He shouted at the students who obediently turned their attention back to the job at hand. Lauren glanced around and saw that each of her fellow classmates were partnered up with a GM employee along the assembly line, all eagerly awaiting further instructions. Lauren quickly scanned the busy room, trying to spot Michael out in the crowd. But he was nowhere to be seen.

"Ms. Fenmore, I'd like you to meet Gary Pearson. He'll be your employee partner here at GM for the duration of the week." Lauren turned around at the sound of Mr. Sinclair's voice and came face to face with one of the ugliest, fattest, most disgusting looking man she had ever seen in her entire life! Gary grinned at her lasciviously and to her horror, she saw that he was missing his two front teeth. Well, screw this. Lauren thought to herself as she slowly started to back away from the freak show in front of her, intent on leaving the factory and not looking back. Just then an announcement came over the intercom.

"Would Gary Pearson please report to Human Resources immediately. You have an urgent call on line one. I repeat, Gary Pearson to Human Resources."

"I guess I gotta go." Gary declared unnecessarily.

"Hurry back!" Mr. Sinclair ordered, then looked at Lauren in frustration. "Well, someone has to train you on how to use the machinery and it sure as hell ain't gonna be me." Thank God for that, Lauren thought to herself. She'd rather be partnered with gap-toothed Gary than have to spend the day with this SOB. All of a sudden, something over her shoulder caught Mr. Sinclair's attention.

"Baldwin! Get over here." Lauren turned around quickly, just in time to see Michael making his way down a flight of stairs. Their eyes met and that same electricity that had flared up between them the day before was still there.

"Yes, sir." He addressed his superior, his eyes never breaking contact with her own. His entire being radiated nonchalance, only the slight smirk on his chiseled face betrayed his cool exterior. Lauren felt her stomach do a little flip-flop.

"Gary got called a way, so I need you to show Ms. Fenmore here the ropes. Think you can handle that without screwing it up?" Lauren caught a glimpse of embarrassment in Michael's eyes and wanted so badly to comfort him. She had no idea why this boy whom she had just met brought out such intense feelings of protectiveness in her, but the urge to rip into Mr. Sinclair was almost overwhelming.

"Yes, sir. I won't let you down." Michael promised sincerely as he came to stand beside Lauren.

"Ha! That'll be a first." The older man taunted, glancing at Lauren to gauge her reaction. She wasn't amused. "Well then, now that everything's settled you two can get to work. It's gonna be a long day and you're already behind so get going!"

"Yes, sir." They answered in unison, Lauren bit back a smile and Michael turned his face away to hide his grin. Sinclair just rolled his eyes at them impatiently.

"Get outta my sight, the both of you!" Michael immediately started walking towards the back of the factory and Lauren scurried after him.

"Hey, wait up!" Lauren called out, but he kept up his quick pace until he reached their designated area on the assembly line.

"Hurry up and put these on." Michael instructed, handing her a pair of work goggles and thick gloves.

"What's the rush?" Lauren wanted to talk, not work. Getting to know more about the enigmatic Michael Baldwin was all she could think about, but he wouldn't even look her in the eye. Seeing that she had yet to adorn her protective gear, Michael took the goggles from her hands and moved to place them on her himself. Lauren's eyes closed instinctively when she felt his hands on the back of her head, gently tightening the goggle's strap. When he was finished, she opened her eyes only to find his gazing back at her. She thought he was going to kiss her then. She _wanted _him to kiss her. But instead he looked away and was all business once again.

"Quickly! Put the safety gloves on and then just do exactly what you see me doing, okay?" Lauren shoved her hands in the gloves, frustrated that he seemed so unaffected by her while she felt weak in the knees from nothing more than a look. Bastard.

"There. Happy now?" She waved her now gloved hands in front of him.

"Delirious." He deadpanned, but his smile was warm and genuine. Gorgeous Bastard.

"So why the rush?" Lauren asked again. "Are you that anxious to get rid of me?"

"No." He said simply, and she knew he was sincere. "I needed to explain to you what to do before the…" His voice was drowned out by the almost deafening sound of machinery as the assembly line started working in full force, signaling the start of another work day. So much for idle chit chat, Lauren thought to herself as she watched to see which car parts Michael was attaching so that she could mimic his actions. She'd have to be content for now with stealing glances at his impressive biceps as he worked tirelessly throughout the day. But come lunch time, Lauren was determined to get Michael alone so that they could have an actual conversation. She knew there was a story behind those hazel eyes of his, and she wanted desperately to hear it. Maybe she'd even divulge a few secret chapters of her own along the way.


	3. Chapter Two

-1**CHAPTER TWO**

"You don't seriously expect me to eat that." Lauren said incredulously as she glanced down into the Styrofoam bowl of murky broth in disgust.

"Sorry, they were all out of caviar." Michael replied flippantly as he sat down beside her on the cool grass. They had decided to spend their thirty minute lunch break outside rather than in the busy cafeteria.

"What is it?" Lauren asked nervously.

"Soup of The Day," he replied before taking a huge bite out of his bologna and cheese sandwich. "I think it's cream of…something."

"Yummy." Lauren said unenthused.

"Wanna trade?" Michael said, offering her the other half of his sandwich.

"Thanks, but I don't eat meat." Lauren said, absentmindedly stirring her soup with a cheap plastic spoon.

"That's a shame." Michael quipped and Lauren blushed at the innuendo. She never blushed.

"So, Mr. Baldwin. How long have you been working here?" Lauren asked, deciding to let him win round one of their sexual banter.

"Ever since I graduated from high school last summer." Michael replied, wolfing down more of his sandwich.

"Wow, and you already know the job well enough to be mentoring me. That's impressive." Lauren praised sincerely. He stopped chewing and turned to look at her. Lauren could tell he wasn't used to getting compliments.

"Not really," he shrugged. "A monkey could do this job."

"That explains Gary." Lauren joked and Michael barked out a sharp laugh.

"What? Pearson's not your type?" he teased.

"No, I usually go for guys who still have all their teeth," she replied. "And a healthy appetite." she added, watching as he washed down his sandwich with her untouched bowl of soup. Now it was his turn to blush.

"Sorry. Working makes me hungry." he explained.

"Yeah, strenuous physical activity has that affect on me too." she said coyly. He turned to gaze at her once more and she couldn't resist the urge to reach out and wipe away the drop of soup hanging precariously from his plump bottom lip.

"Thanks." he said, still staring into her eyes.

"My pleasure," she purred seductively. "So, pretty soon you'll be running this place, huh?" Lauren asked conversationally, trying to distract herself from the almost overwhelming urge to jump Michael's bones right then and there.

"Cuz being Plant Manager is all a guy like me could ever amount to, right?" Michael said, obvious insulted.

"That's not what I meant," Lauren tried to explain.

"Maybe not, but it's what you think." Michael cut her off gruffly.

"Actually, I think you're way too smart to be working in a place like this and can't help but wonder why you're wasting your time assembling car parts when you could be doing so much more." She said honestly and hoped he would believe her.

"The money," he said after a few tense moments of silence. Lauren sighed in relief. "I need the money to put myself through school," he glanced at her nervously, debating whether or not he should say more. "I, uh…I wanna go to Law School." he admitted.

"Really?" Lauren asked, surprised. "I was expecting Med." she said with a smile. He smiled back, shaking his head at her in amazement.

"What?" Lauren asked, amused.

"You," he said simply. "You're not at all what I thought you'd be like."

"Oh, really? And what exactly did you think I'd be like?" Lauren asked, genuinely interested to hear his opinion of her.

"You know, your typical spoiled little rich girl. The type who would only take an auto shop class like this to meet guys." he said jokingly, and Lauren tried not to let the accuracy of his remark upset her.

"Yeah, well. Stereotypes are a bitch." She said ironically, standing up and brushing off the seat of her pants before offering her hand to help him up.

"So are false emergency phone calls." he said nonchalantly, taking her hand and pulling himself up off the ground with a grunt.

"What do you mean?" Lauren asked, confused.

"Well let's just say that Gary Pearson is gonna be awfully upset when he drives all the way back to his trailer park only to discover that his wife hasn't just gone into labor on their kitchen floor." Michael explained with a wry smile.

"You didn't!" Lauren gasped, impressed by his treachery. Michael shrugged nonchalantly.

"I wouldn't wish a day working alongside Gary Pearson on my worst enemy." he said, picking up the remnants of their lunch and tossing it in a nearby trash can.

"Of course you didn't do it because you wanted to spend the day with me yourself." Lauren teased, gazing up at him flirtatiously.

"Of course not." he said, though his eyes told a different story. He moved closer to her and for the second time that day Lauren's knees grew weak as she eagerly anticipated his kiss.

"Hey, babe!" a familiar voice rang out from behind them, breaking the spell they were under.

"Danny!" Her boyfriend always did have the worst timing. "What are you doing here?"

"Since when do I need a reason to visit my gorgeous girlfriend?" Danny asked obnoxiously as he came to stand beside Lauren, throwing his arm over her shoulders possessively. He looked Michael up and down. "Who's your new friend?" Lauren grimaced at the condescending tone of Danny's voice and shot him a warning glance.

"Danny, this is Michael Baldwin. Michael, I'd like you to meet Danny Romalotti." Neither man moved to shake the other's hand, you could cut the tension between them with a knife. Lauren took it upon herself to try and lighten the mood.

"Uh, you may have heard of him. Danny's a…"

"No, I haven't heard of him." Michael said, cutting off her automatic 'my boyfriend is a rock star' response. Lauren didn't know why she always felt obligated to tell people that, as if she were justifying her reason for being with him.

"Yeah, I don't think they play the newest hit releases out here in the slums, babe." Danny said arrogantly.

"Yeah, future one hit wonders usually don't get much airtime here in the ghetto." Michael shot back sarcastically, Lauren bit back a smile. She felt Danny tense up beside her and she turned to face him, placing a hand on his chest to calm him down.

"Look, hun. I've gotta get back to work soon and the boss has me working a double shift so I'll just call you at your hotel tomorrow, okay?"

"'The Boss?,'" Danny mocked in amusement. "'A double shift?!' Jeesh, Lauren. You spend a few hours in this dump and already you're starting to sound like a working stiff!" Danny teased her lightheartedly, but she wasn't amused.

"Just shut up, Danny." Lauren snapped at him, annoyed. "Why don't you go strum on your little guitar and let me get back to work, okay?"

"Chill out, babe. I didn't think you were actually taking this job shadowing assignment seriously." he reasoned.

"Yeah, well I am." Lauren said defensively. "Look, I gotta go. Michael, do we…" she turned around and saw that he was gone. "Where did he go?" she asked, concerned.

"I guess he left." Danny said, stating the obvious.

"Oh, crap! I'm probably late!" Lauren shrieked. "I'll call you tomorrow." Lauren said hurriedly, giving him a quick peck on the lips before off towards the factory entrance. She crept passed Mr. Sinclair's office as quickly as she could and made her way back to her assigned work station. Michael was already there.

"Hey, why'd you run off like that?" Lauren asked, picking up her safety goggles and putting them on herself this time.

"I'm surprised you even noticed." Michael muttered under his breath, refusing to look at her.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Lauren asked defensively. Surely he wasn't jealous of Danny?

"Nothing," he said in frustration. "Let's just get back to work, okay?"

"No, it's not okay. I wanna know why you're so pissed off at me!" Lauren yelled, causing a few of their coworkers to glance in their direction.

"Would you shut up before you get us in trouble!" Michael shouted at her.

"Baldwin!" Sinclair poked his head out of his office. "Is there a problem?"

"No, sir." Michael assured his superior obediently.

"Good. Then you won't mind keeping Ms. Fenmore company tonight cuz that little outburst just bought you a double shift as well. Now get back to work!" he ordered before ducking back into his office. Michael angrily shoved his hands inside his safety gloves, preparing for a long night of work.

"Sorry." Lauren whispered, putting her gloves on as well. "I guess you're stuck with me." Lauren teased, trying to lighten the mood.

"Just shut up and do your job." Michael hissed, but Lauren saw the ghost of a smile spread across his lips. She grinned mischievously. This was going to be an interesting night.


	4. Chapter Three

-1**CHAPTER THREE**

"Alright you two, get outta here." Mr. Sinclair bellowed from behind them. Michael took off his work gloves and glanced down at his watch..

"But it's only 10:00pm, sir?" Michael informed him, confused. They were supposed to work until 10:30pm.

"Are you arguing with me, Baldwin?" Sinclair asked threateningly. Lauren glared at Michael, letting him know without words that this was one time when a little ass kissing was acceptable. She wanted to get the hell out of there, her feet were killing her!

"No, sir. Not at all." Michael assured him.

"Good. Now, hurry up and leave before I change my mind." he ordered, walking back towards his office and shutting off the light before heading out the door.

"Well, that was nice of him." Lauren said sarcastically as she took off her safety goggles and rubbed the bridge of her nose in relief.

"Yeah, if he wasn't so eager to get out of here himself you can bet we'd be workin' till 10:30pm on the dot." Michael said, taking off his sweat soaked work top and tossing it into the employee laundry cart. Lauren admired the sight of his finely toned muscles flexing underneath his wife beater shirt.

"Well, now you have enough time to take me out for a drink before my curfew." Lauren said suggestively, dragging her eyes up from his chest to meet his skeptical gaze.

"I thought you'd be anxious to go meet up with Randy?" Michael taunted.

"Danny." Lauren corrected him.

"Whatever." he shrugged, feigning disinterest.

"He always goes to bed at 10:00pm. Says he needs to rest his vocal cords or something," Lauren explained distractedly, she couldn't take her eyes off of him. "Anyway, I wanna go with you." He looked at her quizzically, trying to come up with a reason to turn her down. He had a feeling Ms. Fenmore could become addictive.

"It's against company protocol for male and female coworkers to fraternize outside of work." he informed her casually, knowing full well she didn't give a damn about the rules.

"Well then, I guess it's a good thing I'm not officially a GM employee." she said mischievously.

"You're underage," he reasoned ineffectually. "Hell, _I'm_ underage."

"You're not an attorney yet, Mr. Baldwin. Might as well live on the wild side while you still can." Lauren said coyly. "Besides," she grinned, slowly reaching down into her cleavage and watching with satisfaction as his eyes followed her movements. "That's what fake ID is for."

Well, he certainly couldn't argue with that.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Moe's Tavern," Lauren read the yellow neon sign above the bar's entrance as they stood outside in the warm summer night air. "The joke almost writes itself." Michael chuckled at her remark.

"You said you wanted to get a taste of Detroit's nightlife, well it doesn't get more authentic than this." he teased, then grew serious when he saw the look of apprehension on her face. "Hey, we can always go somewhere else?"

"No, no. This place is perfect." Lauren reassured him, taking his hand in her's. "Come on, let's go have some fun." she smiled, pulling him into the crowded bar. It was time to shatter a few stereotypes.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"What can I get you?" The lanky bartender asked distractedly as he wiped up a spilt drink on the bar's surface.

"Um, can I get a Bud Light?" Lauren asked casually, hopping up onto an empty bar stool. Michael sat down beside her cautiously. He was no stranger to underage drinking, but he had never been into the whole bar scene. This was Tom's territory.

"Draft or…" the older man behind the bar looked up for the first time and obviously liked what he saw.

"Bottle please." Lauren ordered flirtatiously.

"Well now, pretty lady. I'm gonna need to see some ID." he informed her lasciviously.

"You know, if you wanna find out my name you could always just ask me." she replied coyly, laying it on thick. Michael shifted in his seat uncomfortably, catching the bartender's attention. He looked at Michael suspiciously when all of a sudden a look of recognition crossed his face.

"Hey, I know you!" he bellowed. Michael glanced around nervously. He knew he shouldn't have come here. "You're Fisher's boy!" Lauren looked at Michael curiously.

"Not really." Michael mumbled, but the man kept on talking.

"I haven't seen your old man here in a while. Any idea when he'll be coming around again?" Michael didn't like where this conversation was headed.

"Uh, I don't know. He's been drinking at home a lot more often lately." Michael revealed. The look of fear that came over his face then startled Lauren.

"Well since you're here, you can take care of his tab." he said, turning to leer at Lauren once again. "Then maybe I'll consider serving you and your pretty little friend here." Michael took out his wallet and slammed it down on the bar, diverting the man's attention away from Lauren once again.

"How much?" He asked in frustration and Lauren could tell this wasn't the first time he'd been forced to clean up his father's mess.

"Sixty three dollars." he replied, far too quickly. Lauren had a feeling the prick had just pulled that number out of thin air. Michael glanced down into his wallet despairingly.

"I only have fifty." Almost a week's worth of pay. The bartender glared at him disapprovingly.

"I guess that'll do for now," he conceded , holding out his hand for the money. Michael gave it to him reluctantly and the bartender smiled in mock appreciation. "Now, will that be two bottles of Bud?" he asked, reaching down behind the bar and placing a couple of cold beers in front of the two teens.

"Yeah, that's right." Lauren addressed the man, far less pleasant this time. He uncapped the bottles and pushed them closer to the edge of the bar.

"That'll be four dollars." he said, smiling pleasantly. Lauren wanted to wipe that smug grin right off of his disgusting face. She felt Michael tense up beside her.

"I uh, I don't have any money left." he admitted, a look of embarrassment crossing his features.

"Don't worry about it, it's on me." Lauren said reassuringly, reaching into her purse and pulling out a twenty dollar bill. "Besides, I owe ya one for getting you in trouble with Sinclair." she added, smiling at him to try and ease his discomfort.

"Thanks." he mumbled, not looking at her.

"Come on, let's go sit somewhere else." she said, snatching her change out of the bartender's hand and glaring at him in disgust. She grabbed her beer and started walking away, Michael had no choice but to follow her.

"Is this seat okay?" Lauren asked, sliding into a corner booth near the back of the bar.

"Yeah, it's fine." He said miserably. The light above the table was broken and Michael welcomed the darkness.

"You're not gonna sulk for the rest of the night, are you?" Lauren asked teasingly, taking a swig of her beer in a decidedly unladylike fashion. "Because you promised to show me a good time."

"I'm off the clock, it's not my job to keep you entertained." Michael replied gruffly. Lauren didn't respond, just sat there peeling off the label of her beer distractedly.

"I'm sorry." Michael apologized after a few moments of uncomfortable silence.

"Don't be." she said, offering him a weak smile before taking another sip of her beer.

"I wouldn't have pegged you as a Bug Light kinda girl." he said, trying to lighten the mood and forget about Tom Fisher for a while.

"Well, I wasn't crowned Queen of the Kegger for nothing." she smiled proudly.

"Wow. Homecoming Queen I could see, but Queen of the Kegger? I'm impressed." he said, amused. "Though I must say, you aren't exactly living up to your title." he teased, motioning to the almost full bottle of beer in front of her.

"Is that a challenge, Mr. Baldwin?" Lauren asked coyly.

"Only if you want it to be, Ms. Fenmore." he replied, his voice taking on a seductive quality that made Lauren's insides melt. She quickly pulled herself together and brought the bottle to her lips, her eyes never leaving his.

"You're on," she said, tipping her head back and finishing off the rest of her beer in one gulp. "Bartender!" she called out, motioning down to her now empty bottle of beer. "We're gonna need another round over here." Michael just shook his head at her in wonder.

"It's 10:50pm ya know." Michael informed her reluctantly. "We should probably start heading out soon."

"Chicken." Lauren taunted, playing with the neck of her bottle.

"What?" Michael chuckled, confused.

"You're afraid that little ol' me is gonna drink you under the table." she teased confidently.

"Ha! In your dreams." He shot back. "You may be the Queen, but honey, prepare to meet the King."

"Yeah well, we'll just see which one of us ends up spending the night with their head in the thrown." Lauren challenged. Michael just gazed at her, amusement and desire in his eyes. She smiled back at him, reaching across the table to take his hand in her own. She was surprised when she felt him flinch.

"We shouldn't be doing this." Michael warned, pulling his hand away.

"What's a few drinks between friends?" Lauren reasoned.

"We're not friends." he pointed out. "Hell, we barely even know each other."

"Well, let's change that." she pleaded.

"Trust me, Lauren. You don't want to get mixed up with a guy like me."

"Why don't you let me be the judge of that?" she said determinedly, reaching under the table and placing her hand on his thigh. She shuddered when she felt his hand clamp down on her own.

"Don't." he hissed, but she could tell he didn't really want her to stop. From the moment they had laid eyes on each other, there had been _something_ between them. Something Lauren had never felt before and she felt confident that Michael didn't have this kind of connection with every student apprentice who waltzed into the plant.

"Let's get out of here." she said hurriedly, standing up and holding her hand out to him in a silent plea. They needed to be alone. He looked up at her reluctantly, desire clearly evident on his face. He wanted this, but something was holding him back. He stood up slowly, coming to stand in front of her.

"Lauren look, I…" he started to say but she reached up and grabbed his face in her hands, pulling his lips down to meet her own. She had intended to kiss him hard and fast, but the moment her lips made contact with his, she was overwhelmed by how right it felt and she wanted to savor the moment. His hands found their way into her hair and he pulled her even closer, tentatively moving his mouth over hers in a gentle caress. Lauren slowly ran her tongue along his lower lip, trying to gain access into his mouth. He was more than happy to comply, parting his lips as she did the same. She moaned softly as his tongue caressed the roof of her mouth, the sound sent Michael's pulse racing.

"When you two kids are finished groping each other, I've got your beers here." the bartender interrupted them. Michael and Lauren broke their kiss, both trying to get their breathing back under control as they continued to gaze at one another lustfully.

"Actually, I think we're gonna take off now." Michael informed the bartender, smiling at Lauren fervently. She licked her lips in nervous anticipation, she couldn't wait to get out of this bar and back into his arms.

"Well, who's gonna pay for these drinks?" the older man asked, obviously annoyed. Lauren grabbed hold of Michael's shirt sleeve and started pulling him towards the exit.

"Why don't you put it on my tab!" Lauren yelled back, giggling as Michael wrapped his arm around her waist and bent to kiss her again. Mouths fused together and arms intertwined, Michael and Lauren made their way to the front door , bumping into a woman and nearly knocking her over in their rush to get out of there. Michael tore his mouth away from Lauren long enough to mumble out an apology.

"Yeah, thanks a lot." the blonde girl said angrily. "Get a room. And while you're at it…Oh my God! It's You!" she shrieked in horror. Everyone in the bar stopped what they were doing to see what all the commotion was about. "What the hell are you doing here?" the girl continued to shout. Michael looked like a deer caught in headlights.

"Could you please calm down?" he pleaded with her quietly.

"Calm down?! How the hell can you expect me to be calm around you?" she spat out angrily.

"Michael, who is she?" Lauren asked, still glued to his side.

"Who am I?!" the blonde repeated, addressing Lauren this time. "I'm the girl that this creep tried to rape on prom night, that's who I am!" she declared, glaring at Michael in disgust. Lauren felt him flinch at her words.

"Amber, what's wrong?" a tall, muscular guy moved to stand beside the angry woman, rubbing her shoulders in a comforting gesture. Her boyfriend, Lauren surmised.

"He's Michael Baldwin! The one I told you about, the one who tried to hurt me!" Amber bellowed, pointing at Michael as angry tears welled up in her eyes. The girl's boyfriend glared at Michael, enraged. Lauren barely had time to move out of the way before the guy tackled Michael to the floor and started punching him in the face.

"You sick son of a b!tch! Why don't you try picking on someone your own size, huh?!" Amber's boyfriend taunted as he continued to beat the crap out of Michael. Lauren was alarmed when she saw that he wasn't fighting back.

"Get off of him!" Lauren shouted, hitting the guy on his back and trying to pull him off of Michael herself, but she wasn't strong enough. She glanced around to see that no one else was making a move to break up the fight, instead they all seemed to be enjoying the show. Frantically, Lauren grabbed a beer bottle off of a nearby table and quickly smashed it over the guy's head, knocking him out cold.

"Jason!" Amber cried out as she saw her boyfriend fall to the floor. "You crazy b!tch! You two deserve each other!" Amber yelled up at Lauren as she desperately tried to help her boyfriend regain consciousness. Lauren ignored her, rushing to Michael's side.

"Michael! Are you okay?" She gently ran her hands over his face. He was conscious, but barely. He was bleeding pretty badly, his upper lip was split open and Lauren feared that he may have broken his nose. "Come on," she grunted as she wrapped her arm around his waist and helped him to his feet. "We better get out of here before the incredible Hulk over there comes to." she whispered to him, quickly leading him out of the bar and out onto the street.

"Give me your keys, okay?" she asked him gently. She could see that he was drifting in and out of consciousness. "We need to get you to the hospital."

"No! I'm fine." he insisted, his voice was hoarse from the beating.

"Like hell you are! Now come on. Give me your car keys so we can get out of here." she insisted, moving one hand down to gently root through his pocket. Michael pushed her away and stumbled backwards a bit.

"Just go on, get out of here! I don't need your help." he shouted angrily before losing his balance, almost falling to the sidewalk before Lauren reached his side and helped him straighten himself.

"Would you cut the macho bullshit and hand over your keys before Jason comes out here and kicks both of our asses?" Lauren demanded, frustrated by his unwillingness to cooperate. Michael glared at distrustfully and she could see that the area around his eye was already beginning to swell. Finally he conceded and reached behind him to retrieve his keys from his back pocket.

"Fine," he said, handing her the set of keys. "But I just want to go home, no hospitals." he insisted and Lauren knew he wouldn't back down.

"Okay," she agreed reluctantly. "Now come on, let's get you home."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Michael had drifted off to sleep by the time Lauren pulled the car up in front of his apartment building. Luckily he had been able to give her directions before nodding off. She killed the engine and Michael awoke instantly.

"Home sweet home." Lauren declared softly. Michael just grunted in response, looking up at the building to see if the lights in his apartment were still on. They were. Lauren reached out and gently ran her finger along the side of his face, but he flinched and pulled away.

"How are you going to explain the bruises to your parents?" she asked, trying not to let his actions upset her. Michael laughed bitterly.

"Gloria probably won't even notice." he said simply, Lauren assumed that Gloria was his mother.

"What about your dad?" she continued.

"He's not my dad!" Michael snapped at her and she looked away, fiddling with the buttons on his car stereo. "I don't know where my dad is." he added, his voice softer this time. She looked up at him then and saw the apology in his eyes. She nodded slightly and offered him a weak smile.

"I should probably go, and you need to get some rest." Lauren said, unbuckling her seatbelt and leaning over to undo his as well. "I'll just help you up to your apartment and use your phone to call for a cab."

"No!" Michael said abruptly, a look of panic on his face. "Take my car." he offered.

"What?" Lauren just chuckled. "Don't be silly. I'll just take a cab."

"No, I'm serious." Michael insisted. "It's late and you're way past your curfew already, it'll be easier for you if you just take my car." Lauren stared at him, baffled.

"Are you sure?" she asked, sensing that this generous offer of his was just a ploy to keep her out of his apartment and away from his family.

"Positive." he assured her before slowly reaching down and opening his car door. Lauren moved to help him; but he held up his hand, halting her movements. "I'm fine, Lauren. I can make it up on my own. I think you've saved my ass enough for one night." he smiled at her warmly and she felt relief wash over her. "Now go on, get out of here."

"See you tomorrow?" She asked, turning the car's engine back on and watching as he slowly walked backwards towards the apartment building's entrance.

"Yeah," he nodded solemnly. "Tomorrow." With one last fleeting look, Lauren pulled away from the curb and sped off down the street, wondering what the hell she had gotten herself into.


	5. Chapter Four

-1**CHAPTER FOUR**

"You're late." Mr. Sinclair informed Lauren as she crept passed his office door.

"Sorry, sir." She apologized begrudgingly, still not used to being so mind numbingly obedient.

"Well, lucky for you Baldwin's not here yet either so I'll let it slide this time." Sinclair said as he retreated back into his office and sat down behind his desk. Lauren followed him.

"Michael's not here?" She asked, concerned. After what happened the night before, Lauren was worried that perhaps he'd been more severely injured than he'd let on.

"That's what I said." He declared impatiently. "And he better get here soon if he knows what's good for him."

"I'm sure he's just running a little late." Lauren reasoned, though she had an uneasy feeling about Michael's absence. Something wasn't right.

"Yeah, well he can be as late as he likes down at the unemployment line." Sinclair said threateningly. "And if he's not here by 9:00am, you'll be working with Pearson today."

"Yes, sir." Lauren said distractedly, glancing down at her watch. It was 8:45am.

"Good. Now, don't you have somewhere to be?" Sinclair asked, glancing up at her dismissively. Lauren hurried out of the office before she said something she would regret. Looking down at her watch again, Lauren contemplated driving over to Michael's apartment to see if he was okay, but she knew she'd never make it back in time.

"He'll be here." Lauren whispered to herself, walking towards the break room. After all, she reasoned with a smile, she _did_ have his car.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Michael didn't show up to work that morning and just as Mr. Sinclair had said, Lauren ended up having to work alongside the grotesque Gary Pearson. By the time lunch rolled around, she was yearning for a long hot shower.

"How's about you and I sit together and eat?" Gary leered at her as they made their way towards the cafeteria. Suddenly Lauren had lost her appetite.

"Actually, I think I'm gonna take off for a bit." Lauren said as she broke away from the lunch crowd and made her way towards the front doors which lead to the employee parking lot. "If I'm not back in half an hour, would you mind covering for me?" She tried not to shudder with disgust as Gary looked her up and down suggestively.

"Sure thing, pretty lady. Don't you worry 'bout a thing, I'll handle Sinclair." He promised, licking his chapped lips before offering her a lopsided grin.

"Thanks." Lauren forced a smile as she turned around and quickly made her way out the door. She had no trouble finding Michael's car in the crowded lot. It was rusted, had a huge dent in the passenger side door and was probably older than she was. But even though the beat up old Catalac was less than aesthetically pleasing, Lauren found herself anxious to get behind the wheel again simply because it was _his_. He had trusted her with his car and she was determined to prove herself worthy of that trust. Even if he hated her for it.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Lauren stood nervously in front of Michael's apartment, having snuck into the building when no one was looking because she knew he'd never buzz her up. She'd scanned the tenant list searching for 'Baldwin' until she remembered that his step-father's name was 'Fisher'. So now there she stood, stalk still with her hand poised above the door to apartment 4C. She knew he wouldn't want her there, but Lauren needed to see for herself that he was alright. And with that thought in her mind, she took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

No one answered. Lauren knocked again, trying to stay out of view in case he saw her through the peep hole. Still, the door remained closed.

"Michael!" Lauren yelled as she banged on the door more forcefully this time. "Michael, come on. Open the door." She was about to knock again when suddenly the apartment door slowly started to open.

"Well, hello there." Lauren said cheerfully to the little boy in front of her. He glanced up at her quickly before his eyes darted back down to look at the floor.

"Hi." he spoke softly, not looking at her. Lauren cautiously bent down until her face was level with the little boy's. He moved away from her, but didn't retreat back into the apartment completely.

"What's your name?" She asked gently, trying her best not to frighten him.

"Kevin Christopher Fisher." He answered timidly, tugging on the sleeves of his worn cotton shirt.

"That's a pretty big name for such a little guy," Lauren chuckled, smiling warmly at Kevin as he glanced up at her once again. "Can I call you KC?"

"No, that sounds like a girl's name!" Kevin shrieked and Lauren was pleased to see that he was slowly coming out of his shell.

"Oh? And what's so bad about having a girl's name?" She asked playfully.

"Nothing, _if_ you're a girl!" He explained, shaking his head at Lauren's silly question. "What's your name?"

"Steve." She answered in a deep, masculine voice and Kevin burst into a fit of giggles.

"No it's not!" he laughed, his shyness almost completely gone now.

"Alright, alright. You caught me. My name's not Steve, it's Lauren." She admitted.

"Oh, so you're the one." Kevin smiled knowingly.

"The one what?" Lauren chuckled.

"Nevermind," he teased, changing the subject. "So you're here to see Mikey?"

"Yeah, could you let him know that I'm here?" Lauren asked anxiously.

"He's asleep." Kevin informed her, glancing around nervously. "You can come in if you want, but you have to be quiet okay?"

"Okay." Lauren whispered and Kevin opened the door wider for her to enter the apartment. The living room was dimly lit with a small kitchenette off to the side. Lauren walked through the small home trying to comprehend how an entire family could stand to live in an apartment that was the size of her walk in closet.

"You can sit down if you want," Kevin told her sounding a bit timid again. "I'll go try and wake Mikey up." And with that he ran off down the narrow hallway to Lauren's left. She put her purse down on the couch and walked over to get a better look at the pictures the were situated on a table beside the small black and white tv. There were three wedding pictures of a blond woman wearing far too much makeup and a scummy looking man grinning obnoxiously at the camera. Lauren put the pictures down and looked for one of Michael, or Kevin, or even the typical family portrait that one would expect to find in any household. To her surprise, there were none.

"What are you doing here?"

Lauren jumped, startled. She turned to see Michael standing behind the couch wearing nothing but a pair of sweat pants.

"I was worried about you." Lauren explained.

"I'm fine," he insisted, not moving a muscle. "You shouldn't be here."

"Yeah, and neither should you. If you're so fine then why weren't you at work this morning?" She asked deciding not to beat around the bush.

"I had something to do." He answered her dismissively.

"What, lay in bed all day?" Lauren shot back.

"Get off my ass, okay?" Michael said angrily, raising his voice. "Why the hell do you care anyway?"

"Because! The only reason I decided to go through with this stupid job shadowing assignment was so I could…" Lauren stopped herself before she said more than she was ready to.

"So you could what?" Michael asked curiously, his voice taking on a softer quality. She didn't answer him, but the look in her eyes said it all. "Lauren, please. You need to leave." Michael pleaded with her.

"No," She insisted, moving closer to him. "Not until I know you're alright."

"Don't." Michael held up his hand to halt her movements, wincing in pain as he did so. Lauren rushed to his side and was shocked by what she saw. His face was swollen and covered in bruises. He had an angry red cut above his right eye and a split lower lip. Lauren ran her eyes over his chest and saw that it was smattered with painful looking bruises. Slowly she moved closer to him, examining the fresh cigarette burn on his left shoulder. She gently ran her fingers over the wound and looked up at Michael sadly.

"This isn't all from last night, is it." Lauren asked, though it wasn't a question. He didn't say anything, but his eyes closed as she continued to run her hands soothingly over his bruised chest. "Your step-dad?"

"Lauren," He hissed, grabbing her hand and holding it against him, right above his heart. It was beating rapidly. "You have to get out of here. Now."

"I don't want to leave you here." Lauren pleaded with him softly, moving her other hand up to run her fingers through the short hairs at the base of his neck. He bent his head down so that it was closer to her own and she gently pressed her lips against his wounds. The cut above his eye, the bruises on both his cheeks, finally moving to run her tongue soothingly over his swollen lower lip. Michael released a breath he had been holding, finally giving in to her tender ministrations.

"Mikey's got a girlfriend! Mikey's got a girlfriend!" Kevin teased, popping out from behind the couch. Lauren stepped away from Michael reluctantly, her hands running down the length of his chest as she pulled away.

"I thought I told you to stay in your room?" Michael admonished his younger brother and Lauren was pleased to note that he sounded more than a little flustered.

"I got lonely." Kevin admitted softly and a look of understanding passed between him and Michael, a look that unnerved Lauren to her core. What the hell had that bastard done to these boys? As if on cue, both Michael and Kevin's heads snapped up and a look of fear came over their faces as the sound of a key in the front door caught their attention.

Tom was home.


	6. Chapter Five

-1**CHAPTER FIVE**

Ignoring the pain in his muscles, Michael ran over to Kevin and picked the little boy up in his arms. Then, to Lauren's utter shock, he quickly placed the child in a coat closet near the kitchenette and locked the door behind him.

"Michael! What are you…" Lauren bit back a scream as he clasped his hand over her mouth forcefully and dragged her down the hallway towards his bedroom. They made it inside the room just as the apartment door flung open.

"Why is that goddamn tv on?!" Lauren heard a man bellow loudly as Michael silently closed the door to his bedroom and locked it quickly.

"Who is that?" Lauren whispered nervously, Michael still had one arm wrapped around her waist as they both pressed their ears against the door to listen.

"Tom. My miserable excuse for a step-father." Michael hissed, his hatred of the man evident on his face. They both listened intently as Tom unlocked the closet door and whipped it open angrily.

"Boy, was that you I heard making noise in here?" Tom demanded to know and Lauren could just imagine how terrified poor Kevin must be. She wanted to open the door and give the creep a piece of her mind, but Michael's arm tightened around her protectively.

"Yes, daddy. I'm sorry." they heard Kevin answer his father softly, lying to protect their cover. Lauren cringed as she heard the loud slap of Tom's hand making contact with the little boy's face.

"I don't want you to be sorry, I want you to be quiet!" Tom said domineeringly. Lauren felt angry tears well up in her eyes. What kind of father could beat his own child like that? She clung tightly to Michael and he rested his chin atop her head, slowly running his hand up and down her back in an attempt to comfort her.

"Now, go make yourself useful and get me a beer. Then I want you in that room of yours and if I hear so much as a peep outta ya, I'm throwin' you back in that closet. Understand?" They heard Tom ask the child threateningly.

"Yes, daddy." Kevin sobbed as he scurried off into the kitchen to get his father what he had asked for.

"Damn kids," they heard Tom mutter to himself as he plopped down on the couch and grabbed the beer out of Kevin's tiny hand before popping it open. "I should have made your whore of a mother get an abortion when I still had the chance." Lauren tensed up at that, remembering an instance in her own childhood that still haunted her to this day. "Now go on, get outta here!" They heard Kevin in the hallway and Lauren felt Michael sigh in relief as the little boy closed the door to his own bedroom across the hall. They both jumped a little when all of a sudden the sound of loud voices filled the tiny apartment. Tom was watching Happy Days.

"He's in a good mood today." Michael declared exhaustedly, pulling away from her and limping further into the small bedroom. Lauren looked around the room for the first time. It was beyond small, barely large enough to hold the twin bed and chipped wooden dresser that was pressed up against the far wall beside the room's only window. There were a few posters hung up on the on the wall; Red Wings, Farah Fawcett, and a large map of the world was pinned up beside his bed. Lauren was amused to note that his room was positively immaculate.

"This is how he acts when he's in a _good_ mood?" She asked him incredulously. Michael slowly eased himself down onto the bed before looking up at her dejectedly.

"He let him out of the closet, didn't he." He said letting out a short, bitter laugh that tore at her heart.

"How can you live like this, Michael?" Lauren asked, sitting down beside him on the lumpy mattress.

"Not all of us are lucky enough to be born into perfect little rich families ya know." Michael snapped at her.

"Why do you do that?" Lauren asked sadly.

"Do what?" he shot back, running a hand through his hair in frustration.

"Get so defensive with me. You act as though I couldn't possibly understand anything that doesn't involve shopping sprees and my daddy's credit card."

"Well, it's true isn't it?" he looked at her accusingly. " We come from completely different worlds, Lauren. You have no idea what it's like to spend your days working at a job that you hate, getting crapped on by your boss only to come home and get beat up by your step father in hopes that maybe, just maybe he'll decide to take it out on you and not your poor, defenseless little brother." Michael explained, wiping angrily at the tears that threatened to spill down his face. Lauren bit her lip, overcome by the emotions raging inside her. She reached out to touch him, wanting so badly to comfort him as best she could, but he pulled away.

"Michael, I won't pretend to know what it's like to live in this kind of hell. But just because I can't relate to it, doesn't mean that I don't understand." Lauren admitted softly, folding her hands in her lap, her eyes focused on the wall in front of her. "I understand what it's like to feel trapped. I understand what it's like to wake up every morning and wish that you were somewhere else," She took a deep breath and glanced down at her hands nervously. "I understand that I've never felt as _whole_ as I do when I'm with you."

Lauren could feel his eyes on her, but she couldn't bring herself to meet his gaze. She wasn't used to feeling so vulnerable, as though she had just placed her heart in his hands and was waiting to see if he would break it or put it in his pocket for safe keeping.

"You haven't asked me about Amber." Michael said finally, the change in subject coming as a welcome relief to Lauren. She wasn't ready to say any more, and obviously neither was he.

"I don't care about Amber." She shot back dismissively.

"You're trapped in a room with an attempted rapist and that doesn't bother you in the least?" He asked her in disbelief.

"It doesn't bother me because I know you could never do something like that" She responded, confidently.

"You don't know that." He reasoned.

"Yeah, I do. Just like I know you would never hurt me." She glared at him then, daring him to contradict her. He couldn't. Instead she watched as his eyes visibly softened and he offered her the briefest of smiles before gingerly laying his aching body down on the bed until he was fully reclined. Lauren saw that his eyes were closed and so she allowed herself to gaze at his half naked body. Even covered in bruises he looked positively delicious.

"So what really happened that night?" Lauren asked, laying down beside him on her side because there wasn't enough room on the small bed for both of them to spread out. Unless she were to lay on top of him. Or vice versa.

"Amber's prom date ditched her at the last minute, so she asked me to go with her instead." Michael started to explain and Lauren sensed that this wasn't going to be an easy story for him to tell. "I had no intention of going. I didn't have the money and I knew she only asked me because there was no one else."

"I'm sure that's not true." Lauren insisted.

"She told me she'd rather have Earl the janitor as her date, but he was working that night." Lauren laughed quietly at that and his eyes opened slowly to gaze up at her in amusement. "Here I am telling you about the worst night of my life and you're laughing your ass off. Thanks."

"You're welcome." Lauren said playfully, smiling down at him as she moved to place one of her hands in his hair, gently running her fingers through the silky strands because she couldn't think of a single reason not to. "Go on." She said, urging him to continue on with his story.

"As I was saying," he went on, closing his eyes again as she continued to play with his hair. "Amber only asked me to prom because she couldn't go alone, but she made it clear that nothing was going to happen between us. Then about half way through the night, Ryan, the guy who ditched her, showed up to the dance with another girl."

"Ouch." Lauren interjected.

"Yeah. So when Amber saw him, all of a sudden she was all over me, trying to make Ryan jealous of course. But he didn't seem to care, which only made Amber even more determined to get back at him." Michael's breath caught in his throat as Lauren began to trace his earlobe with the tip of her finger, stroking it gently. He found the gesture oddly comforting.

"So then she uh, she told me that she wanted to go upstairs to the hotel room that she and a bunch of friends had rented. It was still early, so she knew no one else would be up there yet. She was pretty drunk by this point, and I was just going to take her upstairs and put her to bed. But Amber had other plans." Lauren felt him tense up and knew that the hardest part of the story was yet to come.

"I laid her down on the bed and was about to leave when she pulled me down on top of her and started kissing me." He let out a sharp, bitter laugh. "I thought she wanted me, Lauren. I actually thought she wanted me. But just as we were about to, ya know," Now it was Lauren's turn tense up. She hated the thought of him with another woman, but forced herself to keep listening.

"All of a sudden the door to the room burst open and two of Amber's friends walked in. When she saw them, she started screaming at me to get off of her. I panicked and ran out of the room, never looking back. When I showed up at school the next day, there were all these rumors floating around that I had tried to rape Amber the night before. Someone spray painted 'Rapist' on my locker, my tires were slashed and at lunch, Ryan and his buddies beat the crap out of me behind the auditorium."

"Oh, Michael." Lauren said comfortingly, bending to place a kiss on his temple. "Did you try and clear your name?"

"It was my word against hers, I didn't stand a chance. I'm just lucky she didn't press charges," He sighed in frustration. " It was bad enough that I lost my scholarship."

"I'm so sorry," Lauren said sympathetically. "What school was it for?"

"Full scholarship to Harvard, pre-law."

"Holy shit, Michael! My dad had to buy the school a new library just to get me into community college!" Lauren exclaimed, trying to cheer him up. He turned his head towards her, grinning in amusement. She smiled back at him, reaching out with one hand to gently stroke his bruised cheek.

"I've never met anyone like you before, Lauren Fenmore." Michael said in admiration.

"Yeah, and you never will again." she boasted confidently, the timid smile on her face betraying the cocky remark.

"Then I guess it's too bad you'll be gone in four days." Michael said teasingly, but Lauren heard the note of sadness in his voice.

"We'd better make the most of our time together then, huh?" She said playfully, trying to ignore the almost paralyzing sense of loss she was feeling at the thought of having to leave him. She moved closer to him on the bed until their faces were mere inches apart. Closing his eyes once again, he brought his nose up against her own and began to nuzzle her gently until they were making out like Eskimos. Lauren was taken aback by how gentle and caring he was, considering the violent home life he had been raised in. Like a flower growing out of the concrete.

"Why does this feel so right?" Michael wondered out loud to himself, his hand had found its way underneath her shirt and was lazily tracing patterns on the small of her back. He felt a shiver run up her spine.

"I don't know," Lauren answered distractedly, placing open mouthed kisses along his jaw line. "But I never want it to end." She admitted quietly as her lips found his in a searing kiss. Lauren moaned softly into his mouth when she felt his hand cup her breast. Even through all the layers of clothing, his touch set her skin on fire. Slowly she moved her leg up to straddle his thighs, pushing against his chest to roll him onto his back when all of a sudden he tore his mouth away from her own and grimaced in pain.

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry! I forgot." Lauren gasped, gazing down at his bruised chest sympathetically.

"I'm okay, I'm okay" Michael assured her through clenched teeth.

"No, you're not." She argued, slowly getting up from the bed.

"Where are you going?" He asked frantically, trying to ease himself into a sitting position. "You can't leave, he's still out there."

"Shhhh, just calm down. I'm not going anywhere." Lauren assured him as she began rooting through his drawers.

"Inspecting my wardrobe now, are you?" Michael asked teasingly. "Sorry, but I don't think you'll find anything from Fenmores in there."

"Just shut up and tell me where you keep the liniment ." Lauren said, trying to hide the smile on her face.

"I really don't think we're going to need any added lubrication…"

"For your back, Michael!" she exclaimed, shaking her head at him in exasperation.

"Bottom drawer." He informed her, taking the opportunity to admire her behind as she bent over to rummage through the drawer. She could feel his eyes on her and smiled in satisfaction, taking a magazine out of the drawer and wiping it at him over her shoulder.

"National Geographer, Michael?" She said incredulously. "I was expecting Playboy."

"Those are under the bed." He teased. She rolled her eyes at him and sauntered over to the bed, jar of liniment in her hand. He looked up at her seductively as she came to stand between his legs. She used her free hand to gently tug on his hair, tipping his head back and bending to capture his lips with her own in one swift motion. He groaned into her mouth, placing his hands on her hips and pulling her closer to him until she was practically in his lap. Lauren slowly ran her tongue along his lower lip before giving it a quick nip with her teeth and pulling away from him reluctantly.

"I want you." He pouted, leaning forward slightly to bury his face in her chest.

"I want you too. So much." She cooed down at him, running her fingers through his hair. "But I don't want to hurt you." Michael chuckled at that, looking up at her in amusement.

"Isn't that supposed to be my line?" He teased. She just smiled and bent to give him a quick peck on the lips before easing out of his embrace slightly.

"You need to stop talking now." She ordered playfully as she opened the jar of liniment and placed a glob of the potent smelling gel in her palm. Bending to place the open jar on the bedside table, Lauren then brought her hands together to coat them both with the cold liniment before placing her hands on his chest. Slowly, she began to gently message the gel into his sore and battered muscles, watching his face intently for any signs of discomfort. He was gazing back at her, affection and lust dancing in his eyes.

"Thank you." He whispered softly.

"For what?" Lauren asked, her hands moving lower on his chest until she reached his bruised ribs.

"For taking care of me." He said simply and Lauren could tell no one had ever done this for him before.

"Always." She assured him, though she had no idea why she would say such a thing. Four days from now she would be on her way back to Genoa City and he'd be here in Detroit. They weren't in any position to be throwing out promises of forever. She pushed those thoughts aside and returned her focus to the task at hand. She marveled at how hot his skin was, the gel melting into his well toned chest as she continued to massage him. His hands were on her hips again, slowly wrapping around her slim waist to hold her to him possessively. She slid her hands up his slick chest until she reached his shoulders, working out the knots of tension she encountered.

"Ooo, that feels so good." Michael moaned in relief and Lauren felt her stomach do a little flip flop. Closing her eyes, she leaned forward and placed her forehead against his so that they were close enough to breathe each other's breath. She continued to touch him, the massage turning into a caress as she gently raked her nails along his collar bone seductively. She felt him shudder before he quickly pulled away from her and glanced towards the door. The phone was ringing.

"Oh, shit." Michael said, looking back at Lauren nervously. "What if that's Sinclair?"

"He wouldn't call your house, would he?" She asked incredulously. Lauren leapt out of Michael's embrace as the door to his room burst open.

"Why the hell aren't you at work!" Tom bellowed, glaring at Michael as he entered the small bedroom. Then he noticed Lauren standing by the dresser, looking like a deer caught in headlights. A lascivious grin spread across his face. "Well, well. Who have we got here?" He asked, walking towards her.

"You stay the hell away from her!" Michael threatened, getting up from the bed and grabbing hold of Tom's shoulder to pull him back. Tom turned towards him angrily and pushed him hard, causing Michael to stumble and fall to the floor by the foot of the bed.

"Awww, so the little twerp trying to act tough in front of his new girlfriend." Tom taunted Michael before turning his attention back to Lauren who glared at him angrily. "Now what's a hot young thing like you doing with a worthless piece of garbage like my step son here, huh? Why don't you come and spend some time with a real man?" He leered at her, taking a few more steps towards her.

"A real man would never beat his children." Lauren spat out in contempt, quickly brushing past the older man to get to Michael. She knelt down beside him and helped him up onto the bed.

"And a real woman would know her place and never talk to a man like that in his own home." Tom snarled at her, not used to having a woman talk back to him the way Lauren had done. "Now, get the hell out of here before I teach you some proper manners."

"Yeah, I'd like to see you try." She stood in front of Tom, daring him to hit her. She would look forward to explaining to her father how she had gotten a black eye. Fisher didn't know who he was dealing with.

"You little bitch!" he shouted, raising his hand to hit her when Michael rushed over to stand between them, his back to Tom.

"Lauren, go! Get out here now!" Michael exclaimed.

"I'm not leaving you here!" Lauren insisted.

"I can handle this! Just please, go." He begged her to leave, but she just glared back at him stubbornly. He placed his hand on her cheek and looked into her eyes pleadingly. "I'll be fine, I promise. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" Lauren glanced between him and Tom who was standing behind Michael threateningly. She didn't want to leave him alone with Fisher, but she really didn't have a choice.

"Okay." She whispered to him reluctantly, fighting back tears. He offered her a reassuring smile before she grabbed her purse off the bed and headed out the door. She stood in the hallway for a moment, trying to compose herself. Than she heard Tom's voice bellow out from inside the bedroom.

"Don't you ever bring that nosey bitch around here again, you got that?!" She heard a loud thud against the wall and turned to go back into the bedroom to see if Michael was hurt when something caught her attention out of the corner of her eye. It was Kevin. He had the door to his room open just enough for his tiny head to peek through. He looked up at Lauren sadly and shook his head, warning her not to go back into Michael's room. Lauren's heart broke. She wanted to take them both far, far away from this hell that they called home.

"I'll be back." Lauren mouthed silently to the scared little boy before turning around to flee from the apartment. She didn't know how she was going to do it, but Lauren was determined to save Michael and Kevin from their father. She cared too much about them not to.


	7. Chapter Six

-1CHAPTER SIX

"I didn't think you were actually going to show up today." Lauren greeted Michael as he made his way over to their assigned work station.

"I said I'd be here, didn't I?" He responded gruffly, not looking at her. She watched silently as he put on his safety gear and prepared for another hard days work. She could tell by the stiffness of his movements that he was still in a lot of pain.

"Look, about what happened yesterday…"

"I don't want to talk about it." He said, cutting her off in mid sentence.

"We need to talk about it, Michael." Lauren insisted. "What your step father did to you and your brother…"

"Is none of your business!" He exclaimed angrily. "You never should have come there."

"Yeah well, I'm glad I did." She admitted softly. "I feel like I understand you a lot better now."

"Well I'm so glad that seeing me get my ass kicked by my step father was such an eye opening experience for you." Michael said snidely, turning his back to her as he went about double checking the machinery.

"I mean before Tom busted in," Lauren clarified, trying not to let herself get upset at the way he was treating her. "Our conversation in your room, the way you opened up to me about what really happened that night. It really meant a lot to me. I felt so close to you…"

"So that's what this is all about." He interrupted her sharply and Lauren looked up at him in confusion. "You're looking for a quick lay with some blue collar guy so you can run home and tell all your rich girlfriends about it. Well sorry, sweetie. I'm not interested." Michael informed her dismissively. She knew what he was doing. She knew that he was only saying these things to try and push her away. But that didn't stop her from being hurt by his words.

"Fuck you, Michael." She spat out in contempt just as the assembly line came to life, drowning out all conversation in the room. For once Lauren welcomed the noise. She had nothing more to say to him.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Is this seat taken?" Asked a familiar voice from above her. Seated cross-legged on the cool grass outside the factory's main entrance, Lauren shrugged her shoulders in response to his question and continued staring down at the weeds in quiet contemplation. Michael tentatively sat down beside her, his left thigh grazing her own.

"The 'soup of the day' was looking even more ambiguous than usual, so I got you this instead." Michael informed her casually, placing a small white pastry box on the grass in front of her. She eyed it wearily, trying to decide whether or not she wanted to accept his peace offering. In the end her curiosity and growling stomach won out and she reached for the box, opening it slowly.

"A chocolate éclair, Michael?" Lauren said in astonishment as she glanced down at the delicious looking pastry. "I don't remember seeing this on the cafeteria's menu."

"That's because this isn't from the cafeteria." He declared nonchalantly. "I made a quick trip to this little family owned bakery down the street. I know it's probably not as good as the ones in Paris, but I thought…"

"It's delicious!" Lauren exclaimed around a mouthful of cream and chocolate, having already taken a huge bite out of the French delicacy. Michael chuckled at her enthusiasm. It was nice to see her eating something for a change.

"I'm glad you like it." He said sincerely.

"I love it." She assured him, then she noticed he wasn't eating anything. "Where's your lunch?"

"Oh, I'm not hungry today." He lied. Lauren stopped chewing and looked at him disbelievingly. "Okay, okay. I spent my lunch money on that." He admitted, motioning to the half eaten éclair in her hand.

"Well then, you're sharing it with me." She informed him as she shoved the pastry into his mouth. Lauren burst into a fit of giggles at the surprised look on his face as she continued to shove the remainder of the éclair into his open mouth. His lips and chin were covered in cream and chocolate as he frantically swallowed the dessert. She sat back and admired her handy work, grinning mischievously at him while he regained his composure.

"I could have choked you know!" He exclaimed in mock anger. "But damn, you were right. That did taste really good."

"Scrumptious." Lauren agreed, gazing at his chocolate covered lips. She couldn't resist leaning in for a taste. Her eyes closed instinctively as her lips made contact with his. They couldn't get enough of each other, devouring lips and stroking tongues. Lauren kissed and licked her way from his mouth down to his chin, swiping at the residual cream with the tip of her tongue. Michael groaned in response, pulling her closer into his lap. After cleaning him up to her satisfaction, Lauren nipped at his chin one last time before moving out of his embrace.

"There, that's better." She declared triumphantly running her thumb along his now chocolate free lips, slightly swollen from their kiss. Michael chuckled when he glanced down at her own pouty lips.

"Yeah, and now you're the one covered in chocolate." He informed her, using his index finger to steal some of the decadent chocolate from her upper lip before placing his finger in his mouth and sucking gently.

"Oh yeah," Lauren teased, her voice taking on a seductive quality. "What are you gonna do about it?" He grabbed hold of her waist and pulled her back into his lap. He buried his face in the crook of her neck, nuzzling her gently. Lauren sighed in contentment and wrapped her arms around his neck, slowly running her fingers through his hair. She felt him chuckle against her skin.

"What?" She asked, smiling down at him in amusement as he lifted his head up to gaze at her.

"I think I'm addicted to you," he confessed, running his hands up and down her back slowly. She smiled at him, bending to trail open mouthed kisses along his neck. "I came to work today determined to put an end to this."

"And how's that workin' out for ya?" Lauren teased in between kisses. Michael chuckled.

"C'mere, you." He said, cupping her face in his hands as he pulled her closer for another earth shattering kiss. Lauren could honestly say that he was the most delicious lunch she'd ever had.

"Attention all employees." Michael and Lauren broke their kiss as an announcement came over the intercom. "Due to a gas leak on the main floor of the building, the factory will be closed until further notice. I repeat, due to a gas leak the factory will be closed…"

"Well, looks like we have some free time on our hands." Lauren declared. Michael grinned at her mischievously.

"So, what do you wanna do?" he asked coyly, running the tip of his index finger along her collar bone seductively.

"Hmmm. I could go for a quick lay with some blue collar guy." Lauren teased, poking fun at his earlier comment. He grinned at her, glad that all seemed to be forgiven.

"That could definitely be arranged. Though I can assure you, it'll be anything but quick." Michael said, running his hands over her arms, her ribs, the swell of her breasts. She let a strangled moan before abruptly standing up and pulling him to his feet.

"Let's get out of here." She grabbed his hand and started pulling him towards the sidewalk, intent on taking him back to her hotel room and ravishing him for the rest of the day and night.

"Hey, babe!" Danny's voice rang out from behind them, stopping the pair dead in their tracks. "Long time no see."

"Danny! What, um, what are you doing here?" Lauren stammered out, quickly releasing Michael's hand.

"I came to take you to lunch, but I see you've already eaten." Danny said, and for a split second Lauren panicked thinking that he was referring to her and Michael's little makeout session. Then she remembered the chocolate still smeared on her lips.

"Oh, I uh, I just had an éclair." She explained.

"An éclair for lunch, Lauren? Is that really wise?" Danny questioned her. "I mean it's bad enough that you're wearing second hand clothes, you don't want to get fat as well." Lauren looked away self consciously.

"I know. You're right." She admitted softly.

"Lauren, don't…" Michael began to protest, but she cut him off.

"No Michael, it's okay. I'm in the fashion industry, I know I can't afford to get fat." She offered him a reassuring smile. "I guess I'll just have to find some way to burn off all those calories." She turned back to Danny, smiling at him innocently. Michael couldn't hide his grin.

"So what do you say, hun?" Danny asked, ignoring her comment. "Do you wanna get out of here and grab a salad or something? I've barely seen you all week."

"Yeah, okay." Lauren conceded, feeling sorry for him momentarily. "But only if Michael can come with us."

"Lauren, it's okay. I'll just grab something to eat at home." Michael reasoned.

"No!" Lauren said sharply, fear in her eyes. She didn't want him in that apartment with Tom any more than was absolutely necessary. "You sacrificed your lunch for me, the least I can do is buy you a sandwich."

"And soup?" Michael teased.

"Naturally." She assured him, smiling playfully. Danny let out a sigh of frustration.

"Fine. Let's just go already." He said, taking Lauren's hand and leading her towards the parking lot. Michael followed them reluctantly.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"I don't see why we couldn't just go to IHOP." Danny complained as the three of them entered the small diner.

"Because we have IHOPs at home, sweetie. Don't you want to expand your horizons a bit?" Lauren asked in irritation. He could be such a wet blanket sometimes.

"Not if it results in me getting food poisoning." He grumbled, looking around the diner in disgust.

"So Michael, what's good to eat here?" Lauren asked, moving away from Danny and closer to the guy who she really wanted to be eating lunch with. Among other things.

"Uh, their cheeseburgers are pretty good. It comes with fries and coleslaw." He informed her, leading her further into the diner as they picked a table to sit at. Danny followed them begrudgingly and took his seat at the table. Michael on the other hand moved to hold Lauren's chair out for her.

"Thank you, Michael." Lauren said, loud enough for Danny to get the message. "Why don't you order the cheeseburger then and I'll just have some of your coleslaw."

"Lauren, you should eat more than that." Michael insisted, taking his seat at the small round table.

"Don't worry, I'm fine." She assured him. "Besides I'm still stuffed from our snack earlier." Michael grinned at her knowingly. Clearing his throat, Danny reached across the table to grab a menu.

"Do they serve anything here that isn't deep fried?" He asked in annoyance. "And what the hell are chili cheese fries? That sounds like a heart attack on a platter."

"Hey, don't knock it till you've tried it. You could use a little more meat on your bones, Princess." The plump waitress teased as she walked up to their table, pen and pad in hand. "Are you folks ready to order?" Danny looked up at her, obviously insulted.

"I'd like to speak to the manager actually." He requested snobbishly.

"You're lookin' at her, kido. What can I do for you?" She asked him politely. Danny just sighed in frustration.

"Oh, don't mind him." Lauren assured the waitress pleasantly. "My friend here and I will have one order of your cheeseburger combo, extra coleslaw please."

"Sure thing, sweetie. And will his highness be ordering anything this afternoon?" The waitress directed her question to Danny, he just scowled at her in response.

"No thank you, I've lost my appetite." He informed her, handing over the menu.

"Suit yourself." The waitress smiled at Michael and Lauren before heading into the kitchen to place their order. An awkward silence fell over the table then and Michael tried desperately not to react as Lauren's hand slowly made its way up his thigh.

"So baby, what have you been up to these past few days?" Danny finally broke the silence, oblivious to the fact that his girlfriend was currently groping another man under the table.

"This and that," Lauren answered vaguely. "How about you? Have you done any sightseeing yet?"

"What's there to see?" He replied gruffly before changing the subject. "So Michael, how'd you get that black eye? Did you walk into a door or something?" Danny teased and Lauren glared at him angrily.

"Shut up, Danny. Just leave it alone." She warned him, her hand leaving Michael's thigh abruptly.

"Chill out, girl. God, I can't even ask a simple question anymore without you biting my head off." He said in exasperation. "It's like you've turned into a completely different person since coming here."

"Maybe I have," Lauren admitted softly, glancing at Michael before turning her attention back to Danny. "But is that really such a bad thing?"

"Your father and I think so." He declared nonchalantly.

"What do you mean?" Lauren asked in confusion.

"I called your dad up last night and told him about how you've been acting weird and avoiding me all week. He thinks maybe this job shadowing assignment is getting to be too much for you…"

"What?! That doesn't sound like him at all, I don't believe you." Lauren said dismissively.

"Well, believe it. He already talked to your teacher about letting you come home early and he agreed. You'll still get the full credit of course." Danny assured her.

"That's not the point, I don't want to leave!" Lauren said stubbornly, glancing at Michael again. He looked just as dismayed as she felt.

"Well that's too bad because we're going back to Genoa City tonight. I already have your bags packed, they're in the trunk of my car." Danny declared resolutely.

"I can't believe you would do something like this!" Lauren yelled angrily, getting up from the table to stand in front of him. "Get my things out of your car now!"

"Babe, just calm down." Danny stood up, placing his hands on her shoulders. She shoved them off.

"No, I will not calm down. Nobody tells me what to do, you got that? Not you, not my father, no one!" Lauren yelled in frustration. "God, you are such a control freak!"

"You don't think I know what this is really about? Why you're really so determined to stay in this dump?" Danny spat out in contempt. Lauren's eyes closed in realization. "Yeah, that's right. I saw the two of you making out in front of the factory today." He said angrily, glancing between her and Michael. "So how long has this been going on, Lauren? Did you fuck him the first day you were here?" Michael stood up from the table, coming to stand behind Lauren.

"Shut up, Danny." She glared at him in anger.

"You never could keep your legs closed for long." He said in disgust. Michael had heard enough.

"I think it's time for you to leave." Michael warned him, coming to stand directly in front of the smaller man.

"Oh, it speaks!" Danny declared sarcastically. "Look, buddy. If you think you're going to intimidate me with this caveman attitude you've got going on here, think again. She's _my_ girlfriend and she's coming home with _me_!" Danny informed him. "Now, move out of my way." Michael didn't move, merely glanced at Lauren, asking for permission. She nodded slightly and Michael turned back to face Danny, offering him a satisfied grin before punching him square in the jaw. He stumbled backwards a bit, reaching up in shock to touch his split lip.

"You crazy son of a bitch!" Danny yelled, grabbing his car keys off the table. "You want her, you can have her!" He declared, and with that he brushed past Michael and Lauren and headed out the door. He jumped in his corvette and sped out of the diner's parking lot, but not before grabbing her luggage out of his trunk and throwing it out onto the curb.

"Well that was quite the show." Said a voice from behind them. Michael and Lauren turned to see that the waitress had returned to the table with their order. "Don't you worry, darling. You're better off without him." She assured Lauren, placing the plate of steaming hot food down on the table before heading back towards the kitchen. Lauren glanced up at Michael nervously, not sure of what to say.

"Thanks." Was all she could manage.

"I'll go get your things." He said in response, walking out of the diner to go retrieve her suitcases. Lauren wearily sat back down at their table, stealing a French fry off Michael's plate. By the time he returned, she had eaten half of his fries and all of the coleslaw. She smiled up at him self consciously as he placed her things beside their table.

"Sorry. Fighting makes me hungry." She admitted softly and he chuckled at her before taking his seat at the table.

"I'll have to remember that." He said coyly. "So, what are you gonna do now?"

"Stay here I guess. At least until the end of the week." She said, not wanting to think about leaving Detroit. About leaving him. "I just can't believe my father would side with Danny. He's always hated him and he knows I wouldn't stay here if I didn't want to."

"Maybe he's just being overprotective?" Michael reasoned. "You can't blame him for worrying about you. That's what dads do." He looked down at the plate of food in front of him. "Some dads anyway." He said, sadness in his voice. Lauren got the feeling they weren't talking about her anymore.

"What happened to your father, Michael?" Lauren asked tentatively, knowing that this was a sore subject for him, but she sensed that it was something he needed to talk about. Michael sighed, pushing the remainder of his fries around on the plate.

"He just up and left one day when I was about six years old. No goodbye, no note, nothing." He explained. "I came home from school one day and Gloria told me that my father had left and that she didn't know when or if he'd be back."

"Did you ever try to contact him?" Lauren asked and was surprised when Michael let out a sharp, bitter laugh.

"I wrote letters to him for years, begging him to come home and save us from Tom. But little did I know, all of the mailing addresses that Gloria had given me were fake. All of my letters were returned, unopened." He declared despairingly. "I found them in a box under Gloria's bed one night a few years ago while I was hiding from Tom."

"Why don't you try and track him down now that you're older?" Lauren suggested.

"What would be the point? He obviously wants nothing to do with me."

"You don't know that for sure." Lauren reasoned. "Maybe he could help your family get away from Tom?"

"Yeah," Michael said wearily. "Maybe."

"Did he ever give you any indication of where he may have run off to? Some place he always wanted to visit maybe?" Lauren inquired, trying to get him more enthused about the idea of finding his father.

"I dunno," Michael said dismissively. "He just always talked about going back home to the Crescent, whatever the hell that means." The term sounded familiar to Lauren, but she just couldn't place it.

"Can you think of anything else?" She asked, not wanting to push the issue, but now her own curiosity had been piqued.

"I don't really remember much about my father. I was still so young when he left and we never spent much time together when he was still around," a small smile spread across Michael's face as he recalled one of the few pleasant memories from his childhood. "But every Friday night he'd let me sit on his lap while he played poker with the guys, and before every game he'd always bellow out 'Lazay Lay Bon Tom Roulay.'" He shook his head at the fond memory. "I never did get to ask him what that meant."

"Laissez le Bon temp rouler," Lauren corrected him warmly, her voice taking on a slow southern drawl. "Let the good times roll..."

"That's what it means?" Michael asked her in astonishment.

"Mmmhmm," She nodded in affirmation, smiling at him as she recalled a particularly pleasant memory from her own childhood. "After my mother left us, my dad took me on a business trip with him to try and cheer me up. I thought we would be traveling to Paris or Milan, or any one of the typical high fashion countries in Europe that those in the industry often venture to. But to my surprise, we landed in New Orleans and my father and I spent two weeks emerged in the Cajon culture along the French Quarter." Lauren shrugged self consciously. "I, uh, I guess I still remember some of the N'awlins lingo."

"So do you think that's where my father was from?" Michael asked eagerly.

"Possibly. I mean, it's definitely worth checking out." Lauren saw a look of apprehension cross his face and she reached across the table to take his hand in hers. "That is, if you're sure you wanna do this?"

"I haven't been sure of anything since you came into my life," He admitted quietly, looking down at their hands as he turned hers over and began lightly tracing patterns along her palm. "I had my life all figured out and now," He looked up at her then. "Now I want more."

"And you deserve more, Michael. So much more than this." She reached out with her other hand to gently caress his still bruised cheek. He turned his face into her hand and placed a gentle kiss on her palm. "So, you never answered my question." Lauren said, pulling her hand away. "Do you want to do this, Michael? Do you want to find your father?"

"Yeah," He answered her finally, determination in his voice. "Yeah, I do."

"Well then, let's go." Lauren said as she got up from the small table, throwing a $20 down to cover the cost of their meal.

"Go where?" Michael asked in confusion.

"The Big Easy, baby." She said, smiling at him mischievously.

"What?! Lauren, you can't be serious!" He exclaimed in disbelief, she had to be joking.

"I've never been more serious about anything in my entire life." She said confidently, reaching out with both hands to help him stand up from the table.

"We can't just drop everything and run off to New Orleans on some wild goose chase! What about school? And work? And Kevin?" He questioned, trying to show her how impossible it would be for them to go ahead with her plan.

"Fuck school, fuck work, and we'll take him with us." Lauren declared nonchalantly.

"I can't afford to lose this job, Lauren." Michael said in irritation.

"I can get you a job at Fenmores." She informed him impatiently. "Stop making excuses and let's do this!"

"And how exactly do you expect me to pay for this little excursion?" He asked, already knowing what she would say.

"Don't worry about the money, I'll take care of it," He opened his mouth to protest, but she continued. "Anyway, my father has a house in Metairie. We can stay there, so all we have to worry about is the airfare and I can put it on my credit card."

"I wouldn't feel right, mooching off of you that way." Michael reasoned.

"You are _not _mooching off of me, I _want_ to do this. I spend thousands of dollars on designer shoes and clothes. It's about time I put my money to good use." Lauren explained rationally.

"I'm not a charity case." He said gruffly, looking down at the floor in embarrassment.

"No, you're not. You're my friend," Lauren inwardly chuckled at the inadequacy of the word. He was so much more to her than that. "You're my friend and I want to do this for you." She stepped closer to him and lifted his chin with her hand until their eyes met and she could see the fear in them. "Please let me do this for you, Michael." He looked away, biting his lower lip in contemplation as he wiped away the tears that were threatening to spill from his eyes.

"This isn't an easy decision for me to make, Lauren." He said finally, still not looking at her.

"I know it isn't." She acknowledged, slowing nodding her head agreement.

"I mean, what if we can't find him?" He questioned.

"We will." She assured him.

"And what if he wants nothing to do with me?" Michael reasoned.

"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it." Lauren declared resolutely.

"Well, what if I throw up on the plane during turbulence?" He asked, finally turning to look at her once again. She saw the humor in his eyes and knew that he had made his decision.

"I'll just call the stewardess and ask for a different seat." Lauren replied jokingly as she smiled up at him in excitement. He smiled back at her, shaking his head in amazement.

"What have I gotten myself into?"

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


	8. Chapter Seven

-1Chapter Seven:

"Are you sure your step father isn't home?" Lauren asked Michael for the umpteenth time as the pair approached the door to Michael's apartment.

"Yeah, I'm sure." Michael assured her, putting his key in the lock and opening the door. "He's with Candi on Wednesdays." Lauren followed him into the dark, empty apartment and he quickly closed the door behind them.

"Who's Candi?" She asked.

"One of Tom's girlfriends." Michael replied casually.

"He's cheating on your mother? Does she know?"

"Yeah. He's not exactly discreet about it." He explained, switching on the lamp beside the couch.

"And yet she still stays with him." Lauren said in disbelief.

"That's Gloria for ya," Michael sighed, the disdain he felt for his mother evident in his voice. "Kevin should be home from school any minute now. I'm just gonna go pack. Will you be okay out here on your own?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Just hurry up." Lauren assured him, anxious to get going.

"Yes, ma'am." Michael teased before heading down the hallway towards his bedroom. Lauren sat down on the couch and glanced around, looking for something to keep her occupied while they waited for Kevin to get home. She saw a pile of fashion magazines on the coffee table and reached for one, flipping through the pages distractedly. She scowled when she came across an advertisement for Jabot cosmetics that featured a ditzy looking blonde with a bad perm and bug eyes. Lauren knew Christine had been pining away for Danny for months, always worming her way into their recording sessions like some kind of love struck teenager. Well, Lauren smiled to herself satisfactorily as she ripped out the picture of Christine and began tearing it to shreds, she could have him now.

Lauren heard the front door being unlocked and quickly threw the magazine back onto the coffee table. She stood up to greet the little boy who had stolen her heart the day before.

"Hey, buddy! How was…" Lauren stopped in mid sentence when she realized it wasn't Kevin.

"Who the hell are you?" Gloria demanded to know as she entered the apartment carrying a bag of groceries.

"I'm, uh, I'm a friend of Michael's." Lauren stammered out, quickly glancing down the hallway to see Michael coming out of his room. He stopped dead in his tracks when he heard his mother's voice.

"The same _friend_ who was here causing trouble last night?" Gloria inquired, moving past Lauren into the small kitchenette.

"Yes, and I apologize for my behavior Mrs. Fisher. It was inappropriate for me to speak to your husband so disrespectfully in his own home." Lauren said insincerely, trying to stall until she could think of a way to distract Gloria long enough for Michael to finish getting everything ready.

"You're not from around here are you?" Gloria asked suspiciously, staring at Lauren as she placed the bag of groceries down on the counter. "You're too well spoken, and you carry yourself well."

"Thank you." Lauren replied uncomfortably, she didn't like the way Gloria was scrutinizing her.

"Actually, you look very familiar." Gloria surmised, abandoning the groceries as she moved closer to Lauren, coming to stand directly in front her. "What's your name?"

"Lauren," She declared nervously, then she remembered the fashion magazines and got an idea. "Lauren Fenmore." Gloria gasped, her eyes almost popping right out of their sockets.

"Lauren Fenmore! _The _Lauren Fenmore; heiress to the Fenmore fortune?!" Gloria was practically foaming at the mouth.

"The one and only." Lauren declared proudly, laying it on thick for Gloria's sake.

"I can't believe you're here, in _my _house!" Gloria shrieked excitedly, then she glanced around the dingy little apartment in embarrassment. "I'm sorry for the mess."

"Yes, it is rather disconcerting for someone of my wealth and stature to be seen in a place like this." Lauren said condescendingly. "Perhaps you and I could go somewhere else to talk? I noticed there was a restaurant across the street…"

"Yes, that would be wonderful!" Gloria agreed, quickly grabbing her purse and leading Lauren towards the front door. "I have some ideas for a new line of clothing that I would love to run past you. I was actually thinking of getting into the fashion industry myself, before I had children."

"Really? That's fascinating." Lauren said, unenthused. As they were leaving she glanced down the hallway at Michael and shot him a 'you owe me big time' look. He just winked at her and ducked into Kevin's room to start packing a bag for him as well.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"So what are you doing in Detroit? Are you here on business?" Gloria asked Lauren as they sat down at a booth in the crowded restaurant. Thankfully they had managed to get a table near the window so that Lauren could easily see the apartment building from where they sat.

"Actually, I'm here doing an apprenticeship through my school at the GM plant." Lauren replied distractedly, still staring out the window to try and see if Kevin had gotten home yet.

"Really?" Gloria said, taken aback. "I wouldn't have thought someone such as yourself would be into that sort of thing."

"Neither did I."

"So that's how you know Michael." Gloria surmised. "I was wondering why you would be acquainted with someone like my son."

"What do you mean by that?" Lauren asked sharply, turning to look at Gloria for the first time since they'd sat down.

"Well, he isn't exactly prince charming." Gloria explained, laughing nervously. Lauren just glared at her in disbelief.

"Your son is the most sensitive, caring, intelligent man that I have ever met. Despite having someone like you for a mother." Lauren spat out in disgust.

"Excuse me?" Gloria was caught off guard by the venom in Lauren's voice.

"What kind of woman just sits back and watches while their children are being beaten, huh?" Gloria closed her eyes in shame, realizing that Lauren had witnessed one of her husband's outbursts. "God, I used to think my mother was horrible. At least she had the courtesy to leave."

"Please," Gloria pleaded with her. "You have no idea what it's like for me…"

"How about what it's like for those boys having to come home to a monster like that day after day, never knowing what's going to set him off?" Lauren said in exasperation. "They don't deserve to live like that, Gloria."

"They deserve to have a father, don't they?" She reasoned

"Oh, gimmie a break. You're not staying with him for their sake. I'm sure they'd do just fine without a man around who locks them in closets and beats them to a pulp." Lauren said angrily. "You stay with him because you're weak," Gloria vehemently shook her head in denial. "and pathetic. You don't even deserve to call yourself a mother."

"Where the hell do you get off coming here and talking to me like this?" Gloria demanded, obviously no longer star struck by Lauren's stature. "You don't know a goddamn thing about me, or Michael for that matter."

"I know that he's unhappy living here with you," Lauren said confidently. "And I know I'm going to do everything in my power to change that."

"You're in way over your head, princess." Gloria declared knowingly. "You think you can change him, but you can't. He'll only end up hurting you." Lauren glared at her defiantly, not believing a word she said. Just then a car horn blared from across the street and Lauren saw that Michael was finally ready to go.

"We'll see about that." Lauren boldly said as she got up from the table and started heading towards the door.

"Where are you two going?" Gloria called out after her, still seated in the booth.

"Far away from you." Was Lauren's response as she left the restaurant and walked across the street to Michael's car.

"Are you ready to go?" He asked her as she got into the car, slamming the passenger side door behind her.

"More than ready." She smiled at him reassuringly.

"Did you and mommy dearest have a nice little chat?" He teased, putting the car in drive and speeding off down the road.

"I don't know how you put with that woman for 19 years." Lauren sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose in frustration. Then she remembered something. "Michael, wait! What about Kevin?"

"Boo!" The little boy jumped out from the back seat, scaring the crap out of Lauren.

"Oh my God, don't do that!" Lauren shrieked, laughing to show the child that she wasn't really upset with him.

"Sorry," Kevin said with a smile. "So where are we going?"

"You didn't tell him?" Lauren asked, looking at Michael questioningly.

"There wasn't time." he mumbled, flipping on the turn signal as they merged onto the freeway and headed for the airport.

"Well, Kevin," Lauren said, turning her attention to the curious little boy. "We're going on an adventure."

"Really?!" He said excitedly. "Like Indiana Jones?"

"Yeah," Lauren chuckled. "Kinda like that."

"Neat! I'm gonna fight off lions and dragons and find tons of buried treasure!" He said confidently and Lauren couldn't help but smile at his enthusiasm.

"Okay there, kido. We'll do all that and more." She promised. Michael turned to her and smiled.

"I can't believe we're really doing this." He said in amazement. She reached across the console and placed her hand on his thigh, giving him a reassuring squeeze.

"You better believe it." She said blissfully. "New Orleans, here we come."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"I've never been on a plane before." Michael said casually as the three of them made their way down the narrow aisle, looking for their assigned seats.

"You're not scared, are ya Mikey?" Kevin teased from behind him.

"Of course not. Everyone knows that if a plane crashes in the ocean, little boys are the first to get eaten by sharks cuz they're easier to digest." Michael taunted his little brother and Kevin stopped dead in his tracks, causing Lauren to bump into the little boy.

"Michael, don't say that!" Lauren admonished him. "He's only kidding, Kevin. It's actually mean older brothers who get eaten first because they're so full of shit." Lauren winked down at Kevin reassuringly. He grinned up at her and started walking again.

"Looks like these are our seats." Michael declared, stopping to put his carry-on in the overhead compartment and then doing the same with Lauren's.

"Can I have the middle seat?" Kevin asked eagerly. Michael glanced at Lauren, they had been looking forward to sitting next to each other during the flight.

"Uh, what's wrong with the window seat, buddy?" Lauren asked.

"I get car sick when I look out the window, what if I get plane sick too?" Kevin said worriedly.

"Well then, what about the aisle seat?" Michael suggested impatiently.

"It's too out in the open." Kevin pouted, looking down at the floor sadly. Lauren looked at Michael and sighed in resignation.

"Okay then, it's all yours." Lauren declared, taking her seat by the window. Kevin excitedly leapt into his coveted middle seat, putting his seatbelt on right away. Michael sighed in frustration and begrudgingly sat down, reaching into the seat pocket in front of him to check out the in flight magazine.

A few moments later, the doors of the plane were closed, the safety video had aired, and they were cleared for take off. Kevin was already fast asleep. Lauren smiled down at the little boy warmly, envying his ability to sleep anytime, anywhere.

"I guess all the excitement must have worn him out." She said quietly.

"I've never seen him like this before. He's so…happy." Michael concluded wistfully, looking up at her with tears in his eyes. "Thank you." He said softly. Lauren felt tears well up in her own eyes as she carefully reached over the sleeping child to take Michael's hand in her own. She brought it to her lips and placed gentle kisses along his knuckles. She felt him tense up as the plane began its ascent.

"Are you okay?" She asked, an amused smile spread across her face.

"Oh yeah, just peachy." He assured her sarcastically, checking to make sure the barf bag in his seat pocket was within reach.

"Just go to your happy place." Lauren suggested casually, twining her fingers through his.

"My what?" He chuckled quietly.

"Your happy place," She explained. "Conjure up an imagine in your mind of a place where you feel comfortable or at peace and then just imagine that you're there right now." Michael contemplated that for a moment, trying to picture the kind of utopia she was describing.

"I don't think I have a happy place." He admitted softly, offering her a sad smile. Lauren's heart ached for him. She squeezed his hand comfortingly before turning her head to look out the window, watching as they cut through the clouds. Eventually she drifted off to sleep, her hand still clasped tightly in his.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"So your father's house isn't actually in New Orleans?" Michael inquired as the three of them sat huddled in the back of a sweltering hot taxi cab. After landing at the airport a half hour earlier, they'd managed to work their way through the hustle and bustle of airport patrons fairly quickly, only losing Kevin once in the baggage claim.

"It's actually more of a cottage than a house really, and that's right. It's in Metairie which is a suburb of New Orleans," Lauren explained. "It's actually not even a city, they don't have a mayor or anything like that which is pretty neat because there are no City taxes. Technically, it's part of Jefferson Perish."

"Oh yeah, that's right. Louisiana has parishes rather than counties." Michael said, recalling the information he'd learned in his high school geography class.

"Yeah, because of its French heritage." She added, glancing out the window to try and make out where they were. "We're driving through the French Quarter right now. Maybe if we have time we could come back here tomorrow, do a little sightseeing?"

"I'd like that." Michael agreed, smiling at her from other side of the cab. He was wearing a pair of dark sunglasses that hid his eyes, giving him a mysterious look. She didn't think it was possible, but he was even more attractive to her now than he had been back in Detroit. He seemed more relaxed and maybe even a little happy. Perhaps the laid back atmosphere of the south was working its magic on him already.

"Are we there yet?" Kevin asked, squirming in his seat. He had once again requested to sit in between the two of them, despite Michael's protests.

"Almost, just a few more miles." Lauren informed him, playfully ruffling his hair. It was getting late and she knew he must be tired, despite having slept through the entire plane ride there.

"Does your dad's house have a pool? I'd really like to go swimming." Kevin asked her eagerly.

"Sorry, buddy. There's no pool." Lauren told him regretfully.

"But I thought all rich people had pools?"

"Kevin!" Michael admonished his younger brother, giving him a warning glance. Lauren just chuckled.

"The cottage is actually situated along lake Pontchartrain so you can take a dip in there if you'd like," She suggested. "Maybe we can even go sailing one day, I think my father keeps a boat here."

"Yeah, that would be so much fun! I've never been on a boat before." Kevin said enthusiastically.

"Well then, that's what we'll do." Lauren declared resolutely, smiling down at the little boy before turning her attention out the window once more. She had forgotten how beautiful it was here, the scenery was breathtaking. She couldn't wait to show Michael and Kevin around. A little time in The Big Easy was exactly what they needed.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"It's got to be around here somewhere." Lauren said determinedly, lifting up flower pots and welcome mats in search of the spare key to the house. "Ah ha! Found it." She declared triumphantly, retrieving the shiny metal key from underneath a large stone.

"How ingenious of you. No burglar would ever think to look there." Michael said sarcastically, glancing down at the obnoxious rock.

"Just shut up and bring the bags in before I find another good use for it." Lauren threatened him jokingly as she opened the door to the cottage and walked inside, turning on all the lights as she went.

"Wow! I've never seen a house that looked like this before." Kevin said in awe as he entered the small home.

"Its called a Victorian double shot gun." Lauren informed him pleasantly. "Do you know why?"

"No." Kevin said, shaking his head.

"Well, they say you could stand right here by the front door and shoot a shot gun off straight through to the back of the house without ever hitting a wall." Lauren explained.

"But why would anyone do that?" Kevin asked in confusion. Lauren laughed.

"I have no idea."

"That's the last of them." Michael declared, plopping her suitcase down on the floor before closing the door behind him. "By the way, why are there two doors outside?" He looked around the small house in confusion. "And where are all the walls?" Lauren and Kevin shared a laugh at his expense before Lauren took him by the hand and lead him further into the house.

"Come on, I'll give you the grand tour." She said enthusiastically. "The reason there are two doors to the cottage is because it was originally two separate homes, but my father bought the other one and had it converted into one large house." She explained to Michael as she lead him into the spacious living room. It was sparsely furnished, a large overstuffed couch sat in the center of the room with an antique coffee table situated in front of it. A wicker rocking chair was placed strategically next to a large oak bookshelf near the back of the room.

"Nice fireplace." Michael said, walking towards the ivory painted mantel to take a closer look.

"There are actually four of them in the house," Lauren informed him. "One in the kitchen, one in each bedroom and this one. They're all just for decoration of course. No need to be lighting any fires down here in the Louisiana heat."

"Holy cow, the ceilings are huge!" Kevin exclaimed from behind them. They both turned to see the little boy standing in the middle of the room staring up in amazement at the large brass ceiling fan above.

"Yep, they're twelve feet high." Lauren declared.

"Wow, you could fit an elephant in here!" He said excitedly. Lauren smiled at his enthusiasm. She remembered how enamored she had been with the cottage when she'd stayed here as a little girl. She was happy to see that Kevin was enjoying himself as much as she once had.

"Well, there's really not much else to see." Lauren said, turning her attention back to Michael who was still busy admirering the meticulous carvings on the fireplace mantel. "Just the kitchen, the bathroom and the two bedrooms at the back of the house." Michael's head snapped up at that and he gazed at her questioningly.

"There are only two bedrooms?" He asked, a small smile spread across his face. Lauren smiled back, slowly nodding her head in affirmation.

"Yep. One for Kevin and…" She let her voice trail off seductively.

"Ewww, gross!" Kevin exclaimed, scrunching his face up in disgust.

"Oh, shut up you." Michael admonished his little brother, picking up a pillow from the couch and playfully throwing it at him. "It's past your bed time."

"But I'm hungry!" He whined. Michael was about to protest when his own stomach growled.

"Yeah, I could go for a little late night snack myself." He admitted. "Can we order a pizza or something?"

"I doubt any of the restaurants are still open, they close pretty early down here." Lauren said regretfully. "There's probably some food in the pantry, I could cook up something if you want?" Both Michael and Kevin looked at her in disbelief. "What?! I can cook!" She said defensively.

"Okay, Lauren. That sounds great. I'm sure whatever you make will be delicious." Michael said, feigning sincerity. She glared at him skeptically, trying to decide whether or not he was being sarcastic.

"Alright," She said finally, smiling at him as she turned and headed towards the kitchen. "Why don't you guys settle into your rooms while I try and find something to make." Michael and Kevin glanced at each other nervously, both anticipating the worst.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

After their late night meal of surprisingly delicious canned stew, the three of them were ready for bed. Kevin had fallen asleep at the kitchen table, nearly taking a nose dive into his bowl of food. Michael carried the little boy off to bed while Lauren washed up their dishes. She moved through the house quietly, shutting off all the lights and locking all the doors before making her way into the bedroom she planned on sharing with Michael.

The room was smaller than she had remembered. A king sized bed sat pushed up against the far wall, white silk netting hung down from the canopy above. The bed was framed by two antique end tables that matched the dark oak of the bed's headboard. The temperature in the room was uncomfortably humid, the large brass ceiling fan doing little to combat the heat. Lauren walked further into the bedroom, stepping over their suitcases until she reached the patio doors, opening them to let the warm Louisiana breeze flow into the room. She stepped out onto the large veranda, leaning against the wooden railing as she gazed out over the serene lake. The view was breathtaking.

"Are you aware that the bathroom in this house is completely showerless?" Michael whispered in her ear, wrapping his arms around her waist possessively. She leaned back against his chest, sighing in contentment as she remembered the large bear claw bathtub.

"Is that so?" She teased, running her hands up his arms seductively. "I guess you'll just have to take a bubble bath then."

"Only if you promise to scrub my back." Michael said softly, bending to nuzzle his face in her neck. She moaned softly, reaching around to pull him closer. She could feel his arousal pressed up against the small of her back and she shivered slightly in anticipation. "Do you realize that I haven't kissed you in over twelve hours?"

"Well," she purred, slowly turning around to face him. "What's stopping you?" He reached up and cupped her face in his hands. Lauren gasped as he tipped her head back slightly and crushed his lips against hers. His tongue probed at her lips incessantly, demanding entrance. She sighed when she felt him enter her mouth, her own tongue sneaking into his for a taste.

"I think I've found my happy place." Michael said, his hands leaving her face to wrap around her waist as he pulled her closer. She smiled against his lips. Breaking their kiss, she glanced up at him mischievously .

"Wait here," she instructed him, moving out of his embrace reluctantly. "I'll be right back."

"Don't go." Michael pleaded softly, still holding onto her hands as looked at her with his sad puppy dog eyes.

"I'll be right back," Lauren assured him, walking backwards into the bedroom. "I promise." And with that, she was gone.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Lauren had retreated into the small bathroom to freshen up, not wanting to make love to Michael for the first time while she was all hot and sweaty. After a quick bath, she changed into her silk nightgown and sat down on the edge of the tub to moisturize her legs. Lauren knew she was stalling, she just couldn't figure out why. She wanted Michael, her need for him was like a physical ache. But she was nervous. Despite her previous sexual experience, Lauren realized that it would be different with Michael. It could never be just sex with him.

"Get a grip, Lauren." She said to herself, standing up and running a hand through her damp hair in frustration. She was acting like this was their wedding night or something. Looking at herself in the mirror, Lauren squeezed her chubby cheeks self consciously, remembering the big bowl of stew she'd wolfed down earlier. Grabbing her toothbrush off of the sink, she crouched down on the floor in front of the toilet. Pulling her hair back with one hand, Lauren hunched over the toilet bowl and stuck the toothbrush down her throat. She started gagging and wheezing, but nothing came up. Tears of frustration were streaming down her face as she continued to shove the toothbrush handle down the back of her throat, searching for the gag reflex that she knew would make her throw up.

"Lauren," Michael called out from behind the bathroom door, pushing it open slightly. "Are you okay…" She quickly stood up from the floor, throwing her toothbrush in the trashcan beside the toilet discreetly.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She said, offering him a reassuring smile as she wiped away the tears from her eyes. "I just wasn't feeling well all of a sudden. Maybe it was something I ate." She tried to explain, but Michael wasn't buying it. He looked at her sadly.

"Lauren…"

"Don't, Michael." She said dismissively, quickly brushing past him as she stormed out of the washroom and headed back towards their bedroom. He followed her.

"We need to talk about this." He insisted, closing the bedroom door behind him. Lauren stood near the foot of the bed, not looking at him

"It's no big deal." She reasoned.

"You think purging your food is no big deal?" Michael asked her incredulously. "It's not healthy, Lauren."

"Don't lecture me, okay? I know what I'm doing." She said defensively, sitting down on the edge of the bed. He walked across the room, cautiously coming to stand in front of her. She wouldn't look at him, focusing intently on her hands as they lay folded in her lap.

"Why?" Michael asked her softly. "Why do you think you need to do this?" She glanced up at him then, giving him a look that said the answer was obvious. "Oh, come on Lauren. You are _not _fat!"

"Of course you're going to say that! Nobody would just come out and tell me that I'm fat, but I'm not blind Michael." Lauren declared angrily.

"You must be if you can't see how perfect you really are." Michael insisted, gazing into her eyes so that she could see the sincerity in them. She looked away again. "He did this to you, didn't he? Always putting you down about your weight…"

"This has nothing to do with Danny," Lauren argued. "This is about me eating too much and needing to lose weight. It's as simple as that." She looked up at him pleadingly, trying to get him to see things from her point of view. "Look, you wanna be a lawyer, right? So you're going to go to law school, you're going to study your ass off and do whatever it takes to pass your bar exam. Well, that's exactly what I'm doing, Michael." Lauren reasoned. "If I'm going to represent my father's company, if I'm going to become the fashion mogul that everyone expects me to be, then I can't afford to get fat."

"It's not worth it, Lauren." Michael said softly, reaching out to stroke her hair away from her face. "Nothing is worth putting yourself through this."

"It's no big deal." She said again, less confidently this time. He could see the tears in her eyes and watched as one escaped and spilled down her face. He leaned forward to kiss it away. Her breath hitched in her throat as she tried to stop herself from crying. He pulled back, tenderly stroking her tear stained cheeks with his thumbs.

"Let me help you." Michael whispered pleadingly. "You've done so much for me already, Lauren. Let me do this for you." She closed her eyes as he placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. "Let me show you how beautiful you are to me." He pulled back and Lauren slowly opened her eyes, gazing up at him apprehensively. Michael took a step back, offering her his hand. "C'mere." She stood up slowly, placing her hand in his. He lead her over to the full length mirror in the corner of the room, standing behind her in front of it. She reluctantly looked at their reflection, admirering how he seemed to tower over her small frame.

"Do you see how tiny you are," he whispered into her ear, running his hands down the length of her arms until he reached her hands, weaving his fingers through her much smaller ones. "How strong you are," he continued, bending to place a tender kiss on her bare shoulder. "How gorgeous."

"Michael…" She sighed as he began nuzzling her neck, gently nipping at her soft skin before soothing it with his tongue. His hands left hers as he slid them along the front of her nightgown until he reached her breasts, cupping them through the silky material. He began roughly massaging her nipples, watching in fascination as they hardened underneath his touch. She moaned loudly and threw her head back against his shoulder, exposing her neck to his eager mouth.

"Off." Lauren groaned, and for a minute Michael feared she wanted him to stop touching her. But then he realized that she was referring to the scarp of silk that was preventing her from feeling his hands on her bare skin. Michael happily complied, his hands leaving her breasts momentarily to reach down and lift the silken nightgown up. Lauren raised her arms as he lifted the garment up and over her head, tossing it to the floor carelessly.

She stood in front of him, wearing nothing but a pair of pale blue panties. She gazed at their reflection in the mirror and when her eyes met his, she could see the desire in them.

"You are so beautiful, Lauren." He praised, moving to stand in front of her. He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her softly on the lips. Her hands traveled up his back and she ran her fingers through his hair, tugging his head lower as began trailing kisses down her neck, stopping briefly to nip at her collar bone before bending to capture her breast in his mouth.

"Oh, God…" She moaned softly as he began sucking and licking at her breasts in earnest. Lauren's hands clenched in his hair as she was overcome with pleasure. She groaned in protest when his mouth left her breast, glancing down at the top of his head has he began trailing kisses down her stomach. He looked up at her questioningly when his lips reached the edge of her panties.

"I've never done this before," Lauren admitted timidly. "I mean, no one's ever…" Her voice trailed off as she watched him hook his thumbs in the waistband of her panties, slowly dragging them down her legs. She stepped out of them, placing her hands on his shoulders for support. He reached up and took her hands in his, bringing them to his lips and kissing her palms gently.

"Do you want me to stop?" He asked softly, looking up at her as he released her hands and started stroking her thighs gently. Lauren shook her head, parting her legs slightly to show him just how eager she was to feel his mouth on her. He smiled at her as his hands made their way up the back of her thighs. He leaned forward and closed his eyes as he buried his nose in her auburn curls. Lauren could feel her arousal dripping down the inside of her thighs as he parted her lips with his fingers. He leaned back slightly and her eyes met his as he slowly ran his tongue along her slippery folds.

"Oh my God!" Lauren gasped, her eyes closing from the intense pleasure. Her hands snaking into his hair once more as she pulled him closer. He started licking her in earnest from her opening to the tiny bundle of nerves that was screaming for his attention. Lauren whimpered when she felt his finger enter her as he closed his lips around her clit and sucked gently.

"Oh, God! That feels so good." She moaned unabashedly, holding his head to her tightly. "Don't stop." He chuckled against her and the vibrations only added to her pleasure as he started flicking his tongue over her swollen clit, feeling her walls start to clench around his finger rapidly. She was moaning constantly now and Michael could tell she was close. He sped up his movements, adding a second finger into the mix. Capturing the sensitive bundle of nerves between his lips once more, Michael bit down ever so lightly.

"Michael!" She screamed as her entire body shook from the force of her orgasm. Her hips bucked against his face as wave after wave of pleasure flowed through her body. She collapsed into his waiting arms on the floor, trying to get her breathing back under control. Michael held her close, slowly stoking her back as he waited for her to come back to him.

"That was amazing," She said softly, pulling back to look at him. "You're amazing." She declared, wrapping her arms around his neck and snuggling further into his embrace.

"Well, you're pretty amazing yourself." He informed her playfully, reaching out to brush a wayward strand of hair out of her face. She smiled at him, completely sated. Michael gathered her up in his arms and carried her over to the bed, laying her down between the crisp white sheets. She stretched languidly, stifling a yawn.

"Are we going to make love now, Michael?" She asked sleepily, her eyes already starting to droop. Michael chuckled as he took off his t-shirt and crawled into bed beside her.

"Not tonight." He said, wrapping his arm around her waist from behind and pulling her closer to his chest so that they were spooning. He placed a kiss on her shoulder. "Tonight was about you."

"Then tomorrow's all yours, baby." Lauren mumbled, already half asleep; dreaming of mardi gras beads, spicy jambalaya, and naked Michael.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


	9. Chapter Eight

-1Chapter Eight:

Lauren came awake slowly, not wanting to return to consciousness just yet. She had been having the most amazing dream about a boy with mesmerizing eyes, a gorgeous smile, and the ability to make her see stars. Her eye lids fluttered open slowly, and she realized it wasn't a dream. Michael lay beside her on the king sized bed, sound asleep. His face was mere inches from her own, his arm swung over her waist possessively. She could tell by the rapid movement of his eyes beneath their lids that he was having a bad dream and Lauren was overcome with a profound sense of sadness. She had hoped his demons wouldn't haunt him here.

"Michael," She whispered softly, not wanting to startle him. "Michael, wake up." She reached up with one hand to gently caress his cheek, hoping that her touch would jar him from his troubled sleep. His eyes snapped open and he pulled away, staring at her in confusion. She watched transfixed as he rubbed at his eyes, smiling sleepily at her as he remembered where he was and who he was with.

"Sorry," he apologized, his voice rough from sleep. "I'm not used to waking up beside someone."

"Well, you'd better get used to it." Lauren teased playfully, then wished she hadn't. Michael offered her a sad smile, both of them silently acknowledging that they couldn't stay here in their little southern oasis forever. As badly as they wanted to.

"So, what's first on the agenda for today?" Michael asked, purposely changing the subject.

"Well, I seem to recall promising to repay a certain someone for rocking my world last night." Lauren purred seductively, swinging her leg over both of his so that she was straddling his lap.

"It was my pleasure." Michael assured her, placing his hands on her hips as she moved to wrap her arms around his neck, crushing her breasts against his bare chest. They both moaned at the sensation.

"No, it was mine." Lauren corrected him, playfully nibbling on his ear lobe before soothing it with her tongue. "But you're about to get yours." She informed him, sliding down his body so that her face was level with his chest. The action caused their lower bodies to rub against each other. "Oooo," Lauren cooed as she felt his morning erection brush up against her inner thigh. "Is that for me?"

"What do you think?" Michael grinned at her lasciviously and she started trailing open mouthed kisses down his chest, her eyes never leaving his. She dipped her tongue into his naval, slowly teasing the sensitive area of skin, eliciting a groan from Michael as he fought off the urge to guide her head lower. As if reading his mind, she slowly began tracing the edge of his boxers with her finger tip.

"Lauren, please." He begged her softly, his hands already twisting in the bed sheets as he eagerly anticipated what was to come. Smiling up at him seductively, Lauren used her teeth to grab hold of the waistband of his boxers, pulling them down slowly.

"Ahhhhhhh!" A loud, piercing scream rang through the small cottage. Startled, Michael and Lauren looked at each other in confusion.

"What was that?" Lauren wondered out loud, climbing off of Michael and covering herself with the bed sheet.

"Kevin!" He exclaimed, quickly jumping out of bed and rushing out of the room to go check on his little brother.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"What happened?" Lauren asked in concern as she entered Kevin's bedroom, pulling her robe on over her nightgown. The little boy was curled up in his big brother's lap, trembling with fear as Michael stroked his back soothingly.

"He thinks he saw someone staring at him through the window." Michael explained, gesturing to the large transom window beside the bed. Lauren walked over to it, pulling the curtains back as she scanned the area outside. There was no one there.

"Sweetie, are you sure you weren't just having a nightmare?" Lauren asked softly as she sat down on the bed beside Michael. Kevin vehemently shook his head in response, his face still buried in Michael's neck.

"What did the person look like?" Michael asked him, relieved when Kevin sat up straighter and leaned back enough to look him in the face.

"Old," Kevin explained, his breath catching in his throat as he tried not to cry. "Like the witch that ate Hansel and Gretel."

"So it was a woman?" Lauren questioned, trying not to chuckle at the little boy's description. Kevin nodded his head in affirmation. "Well, I promise you that there are no witches around here that like to eat little children." She said reassuringly, reaching over to playfully poke him in the tummy. He smiled at her, obviously relieved.

"Yeah, the witches around here prefer to play with voodoo dolls." Michael added.

"Someone's been doing their research." Lauren said, impressed by his apparent knowledge of New Orleans witchcraft.

"I couldn't sleep last night, so I did a little reading." Michael explained. "I also scanned the phonebook looking for Baldwins."

"Did you find anything?" Lauren asked, anxious to get started on their search.

"No Lowell Baldwin was listed, but there are seven other Baldwin families currently living in and around the New Orleans area." Michael informed her.

"Why are you guys looking for more Baldwins? I thought we were going on an adventure?" Kevin whined, obviously no longer upset about his early morning witch sighting.

"That _is _the adventure." Lauren explained enthusiastically.

"It doesn't sound very exciting," Kevin complained. But then he looked up at Michael and Lauren, offering them a reassuring smile. "I'm really glad we're here, though. It's a lot nicer being here than at home." He declared softly and Lauren couldn't resist the urge to reach out and gather the little boy up in her arms, hugging him close. Then the door bell rang. Michael glanced at Lauren worriedly as she released Kevin and stood up from the bed.

"Are you expecting anyone?" He asked her cautiously, knowing that she wasn't.

"No." She declared unnecessarily. "I'd better go see who it is." She gave Michael a reassuring smile before leaving the room to go answer the door, praying to God that it wasn't her father.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Alright, just who are you and what are you doing in Mr. Fenmore's house?" The older woman demanded to know as Lauren cautiously opened the door to the cottage. Her eyes lit up when she realized who it was.

"Mrs. Everett! Oh my God, I haven't seen you in years!" Lauren exclaimed excitedly. The old woman just stared at her in confusion. "Don't you know who I am?" The woman continued to glare at her skeptically. "It's me! Lauren."

"Mon petit bebe!" Mrs. Everett gasped, finally recognizing who she was speaking to. "Dear Lord, you're all grown up! What's it been? Nine…ten years since I last saw you?"

"Just about." Lauren said pleasantly, smiling down at the older woman who had played such an important role in her childhood.

"Well don't just stand there! Gimmie a hug already!" Mrs. Everett exclaimed, pulling Lauren into a crushing embrace.

"It's so good to see you." Lauren said sincerely, pulling away slightly to take a better look at her. "My God, you haven't aged a day."

"Oh, you always were a little fibber." Mrs. Everett said dismissively. "Where's your father? We've got a lot of catching up to do."

"Actually he's, uh, he's not here." Lauren stammered out.

"Oh?" Mrs. Everett said, confused. Then something over Lauren's shoulder caught her attention. "Ohhhh." Lauren turned around to see Michael standing in the hallway behind her, wearing nothing but his boxers.

"It's not what it looks like…" She started to say.

"Now, now. No need to explain. I was a young lady once myself you know." Mrs. Everett said knowingly. "I take it your father doesn't know that you and your…_friend_ are down here?" She asked. Lauren nodded. "And I take it you'd like to keep it that way."

"For now." Lauren said hesitantly.

"Well then, my lips are sealed." The older woman smiled at her reassuringly. "And now that I've seen the young man in his undies, it would be nice to know his name."

"Oh, I'm sorry." Lauren apologized as she opened the door wider to let the older woman into the cottage. Michael walked back out of the bedroom, wearing pants this time. "Mrs. Everett, I'd like you to meet my friend Michael Baldwin. Michael, this is Mrs. Everett."

"Michael _Baldwin_," The older woman said wistfully. "That's a good strong name you've got there, son."

"Thank you, Mrs. Everett." Michael said, reaching out to shake her hand in greeting. Just then Kevin came out of his bedroom to see what all the commotion was about. He gasped when he saw the strange lady standing in the hallway.

"That's her! That's the witch!" Kevin screamed, dashing to hide behind Michael.

"Well, I've been called a lot of things in my day, but never a witch." Mrs. Everett chuckled.

"I'm sorry." Michael apologized for his brother's behavior.

"Oh, nonsense." She said dismissively. "An active imagination is nothing to be sorry for." She crouched down to the little boy's level. "And what's your name?"

"Kevin." He replied timidly, still hiding behind his big brother.

"Well now, it's a pleasure to meet you Mr. Kevin." She said warmly, reaching out to shake his hand. He looked at her wearily before reluctantly placing his hand in hers. When he pulled his hand back, he was pleasantly surprised to find a piece of candy in his palm. He looked up at her in amazement.

"How did you do that? He asked.

"Do what?" She said mysteriously, winking down at him as she straightened herself. Kevin smiled up at her in wonder, inching away from Michael as unwrapped his treat.

"So how do you two know each other?" Michael asked finally, curious to learn more about the enchanting older woman.

"I was Lauren's nanny when she was a little girl. It was my job to keep an eye on her while her father was down here on business," Mrs. Everett explained, smiling at Lauren as she recalled all of their fond memories together. "And oh boy, was she a little troublemaker. Always up to something she shouldn't be." She glanced at Michael. "And I see not much as changed." Both teens looked away from the older woman, blushing profusely. She just chuckled. "Anyway, we can talk more about this later. Have ya'll eaten breakfast yet?"

"No, we just woke up." Lauren informed her.

"Well then, hurry up and get dressed. You're all coming over to my house next door. I've made enough pancakes to feed an army." She declared.

"Thank you for the offer, but we don't want to impose…" Michael started to say.

"Oh, nonsense!" She said dismissively. "Anyway, it wasn't an offer, it was an _order_. I'm not gonna have ya'll starving over here while I've got a house full of food all to myself." She turned to Lauren, looking at her pointedly. "And _you _my dear could do with a good hearty meal or two. You're nothing but skin and bones!" She exclaimed, playfully poking Lauren in the ribs before leaving the cottage to go finish making breakfast back at her place. Lauren glanced up at Michael uncomfortably, expecting him to say something. He smiled at her warmly, letting her know that he didn't intend on pushing the issue. She sighed in relief.

"Well, if she _is _a witch, she's the coolest one I've ever met." Kevin declared cheerfully, chewing on his candy as he ran off to go get ready for breakfast. Michael and Lauren chuckled before retreating back into their bedroom to finish getting dressed.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"So, do you have any embarrassing stories to tell about little Lauren?" Michael inquired as he eagerly dug into the plate of food in front of him. The three of them were seated at Mrs. Everett's dining room table, surrounded by piping hot plates of every kind of breakfast food imaginable.

"I most certainly do," The older woman declared, placing another fresh batch of blueberry pancakes down in front of Kevin before taking her seat at the head of the table. "Mon petit bebe was always getting into mischief."

"That's not true!" Lauren defended, popping another piece of watermelon into her mouth. "I was a little southern belle." She declared proudly.

"Ha! Southern belle my foot!" Mrs. Everett exclaimed, turning to Michael who was chewing on a piece of bacon, listening intently. "Believe it or not, this one here used to be a tom boy."

"Really?" Michael said disbelievingly, glancing at Lauren in her floral sundress and ivory pearls. "I never would have guessed."

"That's because it isn't true." Lauren insisted, glaring at Mrs. Everett defiantly.

"Oh, it isn't?" The older lady said incredulously. "Well then, what about the time I took you over to Lafreniere Park for the day and you fell head first into the lagoon trying to catch a toad?" Mrs. Everett reminded her and Lauren smirked at the memory. "And then there was the time she pushed this poor little boy off the carrousel because he sat on the horse she wanted to ride."

"Now that I believe." Michael said, smiling at Lauren in amusement. She rolled her eyes at him, reaching across the table for a chocolate crescent.

"My stomach hurts." Kevin moaned in discomfort, sitting back in his chair exhaustedly. They all chuckled when they saw that the little boys face was covered in blueberry stains.

"I think somebody ate too much." Mrs. Everett chided the small child affectionately. "Why don't you go wash up and lay down on the couch while I get started on these dishes." She suggested, already starting to clear the table.

"Here, let me help." Michael offered politely, standing up from the table to lend a hand.

"Don't be silly, my boy." She waved him off dismissively. "You go sit down in the living room and rest. Lauren and I will tidy up." She declared, heading towards and kitchen and motioning for Lauren to join her.

"Whatever happened to Women's Lib?" Lauren muttered in mock frustration, obediently getting up from the table to start clearing up the dirty dishes. Michael crept up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist as he bent to whisper in her ear.

"But you'd look so cute in an apron." He teased her playfully, placing a kiss on her shoulder before retreating into the living room for a little post breakfast R&R.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Check this out!" Kevin exclaimed in excitement, directing his brother's attention to the crystal ball that sat atop the fireplace mantel. "You don't think she really _is _a witch, do you?"

"No, Kevin. I don't." Michael said confidently. "Of course, maybe she fed you all those pancakes to try and fatten you up?" He added jokingly, unable to resist. Kevin glanced down at his tummy nervously before plopping down on the couch to watch tv.

Michael walked around the cramped living room, curiously examining the various knickknacks and photos that littered the room. A collection of antique cups and saucers were proudly displayed on an oak shelf beside the decorative fireplace. He picked one up, admirering the intricate pattern before carefully placing it back on the shelf. Walking further into the room, a black and white photo of a young man in army fatigues caught Michael's eye and he moved closer to take a better look at it.

"So, where are you all off to today?" Michael jumped, startled by the older woman's voice as she came to stand behind him. He turned around to face her. She was drying her hands on a dishtowel, staring at him inquisitively. Michael shifted uncomfortably, he was unnerved by the intensity in her eyes.

"Actually we're, um, we're going to look for someone." He explained nervously. Mrs. Everett offered him a warm smile.

"Well, I hope you find him." She said simply, turning around to head back into the kitchen. "Lauren should be along shortly, she's just in the washroom freshening up." Mrs. Everett informed him casually. A feeling of dread swept over Michael as recalled the disturbing scene he'd walked in on the night before. He rushed towards the bathroom, praying that he'd get there in time to stop her.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Lauren quietly closed the door to the washroom. Walking down the hall towards the living room, she nearly crashed into Michael as he came flying around the corner.

"Woah, what's wrong? Are you okay?" Lauren asked him, placing her hands on his chest in concern.

"I was about to ask you the same question." He said sharply. She looked up at him in confusion.

"What do you mean?" She asked. He glared at her accusingly. Lauren was about to question him again when she realized what had gotten him so worked up. "Michael," She sighed in frustration. "I just went to the washroom, that's all."

"Promise?" He asked, looking at her skeptically. She smiled up at him, touched by his concern. She moved closer to him, cupping his face in her hands as she gazed at him openly.

"I promise." She whispered sincerely, pulling his face down closer to her own and placing a gentle kiss on his lips. "Now come on," She said resolutely, taking his hand in hers and leading him back towards the living room. "Let's go find your father."

"Speaking of fathers," Michael said, pulling on her hand until she stopped walking and turned around to face him. "I think you should call yours."

"No, Michael." She said stubbornly. "Not yet."

"He's probably worried about you." Michael tried to reason with her.

"If he was so concerned about my well being than he wouldn't have tried to get me to leave Detroit with Danny." Lauren spat out bitterly, still disillusioned with her father over his latest stunt.

"Lauren," Michael sighed in frustration.

"I'll call him tomorrow, okay?" She assured him, glancing up at him pleadingly.

"Okay." He reluctantly agreed, dropping the issue for the time being. "Let's get going."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

It was early afternoon when the taxi pulled up in front of a small home in Kenner, Louisiana. Lauren got out of the car first, shielding her eyes against the harsh sunlight as she looked up at the decrepit residence in reluctant curiosity.

"Are you sure this is the right address?" She asked skeptically. It didn't look like anyone had lived there in years judging by the condition of the property.

"According to the phonebook it is." Michael said, coming to stand beside her on the curb. Kevin pushed his way in between them, staring up at the old house in morbid fascination.

"It looks haunted!" He exclaimed excitedly. "Can we go inside?"

"This from the kid who got scared by a little old lady this morning." Lauren said in amusement. "I guess it wouldn't hurt to look around."

"Lauren, we can't just go waltzing into someone's house without their permission." Michael pointed out.

"Why not?" She argued.

"Because it's illegal, that's why not."

"Oh, come on. A little B&E never hurt anyone." Lauren said mischievously. She ducked her head inside the taxi cab window. "Wait here." She instructed the driver as she took Kevin by the hand and the two of them eagerly headed up the broken walkway towards the small house. Michael followed them reluctantly.

"Watch your step." Lauren warned the little boy as she helped him up onto the dilapidated veranda. It creaked loudly under their feet as the three of them cautiously made their way towards the front door. Kevin stopped to peer inside the house through a dingy window, using his sleeve to clean off some of the dirt. It was dark inside, he couldn't make out anything except that it looked empty and rundown. He pushed his face up against glass to try and get a better look and shrieked when he saw a pair of luminous green eyes staring back at him.

"What is it?" Michael asked, rushing over to his little brother to see what had frightened him. Kevin watched as the gray cat jumped off the window sill and sauntered further into the house.

"Uh, nothing." Kevin said dismissively, not wanting his brother to know he had been spooked by a kitten. "So are we gonna go in or not?" He asked impatiently.

"The door's unlocked." Lauren informed them as she began to push it open slowly. Michael reached out to stop her.

"Lauren!" He hissed in frustration. "At least knock first." She rolled her eyes at him and proceeded to bang on the door obnoxiously. No one answered.

"There. Happy now?" Lauren asked, smiling at him satisfactorily. She leapt into his arms as the front door swung open.

"Who's there?" The owner of the house asked sharply. The three of them stared up at the old lady in shock. She had to be at least eighty years old. Her hair was in curlers and she was wearing a tattered robe and fuzzy pink slippers. She stood in the doorway, glaring at them suspiciously.

"Are you, um, are you Mrs. Baldwin?" Michael asked nervously.

"Who wants to know?" She questioned, obviously distrustful of the trio.

"We're looking for a man named Lowell Baldwin. Have you heard of him?" Lauren asked, moving away from Michael and looking past the older woman to try and see into the house. She couldn't believe the elderly lady actually lived in such horrendous conditions.

"Lowell! Yes, of course I know Lowell!" The woman gasped in delight and Michael and Lauren could see the she was missing more than a few of her teeth.

"You do?" Lauren asked skeptically, glancing at Michael. He looked just as doubtful as she felt.

"Yes, dear." She insisted, nodding her head in affirmation. "Such a nice young man, though he's always falling in with the wrong crowd. Seems like he's got a new problem to deal with every time he comes to visit me."

"Lowell visits you?" Lauren asked incredulously. "Here?"

"Yes!" The older woman declared impatiently. "Everyday at noon." Kevin glanced down at his watch.

"It's 11:55am." He said timidly, partially hidden behind his brother's tall frame. She gasped in shock. Without a word, the old lady turned around and retreated back into the house. Michael and Lauren looked at each other in confusion.

"Come on, Lauren. Let's go. The woman's obviously a few sandwiches short of a picnic." Michael declared in resignation, already turning to leave.

"You don't know that for sure. What if what she says is true and Lowell Baldwin is going to be here any minute?" Lauren argued. He looked at her incredulously.

"You honestly believe my father is going to come waltzing up these steps in a few minutes?"

"You never know." Lauren insisted, not willing to give up just yet. He rolled his eyes at her dismissively. "Well, we're here now. We might as well wait and see if he shows." She declared stubbornly, stepping through the open door and entering the house.

"Lauren!" He called after her, but she ignored him. Venturing further into the stifling hot residence, Lauren tried to see where the mysterious woman had run off to. She heard Michael and Kevin behind her and smiled in satisfaction. She knew Michael's curiosity would get the better of him. Glancing around the sparsely furnished hallway, Lauren's eyes were drawn to a curio cabinet situated against the far wall. It was covered in a thick layer of dust, a few pictures and old books were strewn atop its surface. Lauren picked up one of the photos, examining it closely.

"Could this be a picture of your father?" She asked, holding the frame up to Michael so that he could take a look at it.

"I don't know." Michael sighed in frustration as he studied the photo more closely. "I can't remember what he looks like." All three of them jumped when the sound of loud voices started blaring from somewhere else in the house. They followed the noise, walking down the narrow hallway which lead them into a dimly lit living room. In the middle of the room sat the old lady. She was on the edge of her seat, staring intently at the small black and white tv in front of her. The opening credits for a familiar daytime drama began to roll and the woman clasped her hands together in delight.

"There he is! There's my Lowell!" She exclaimed in excitement. Michael glanced up at the clock on the wall. It was 12:00pm. Lauren sighed in disappointment, watching as a dramatic shot of the infamous Lowell _Braeden _flashed across the screen.Michael was right. The old lady was obviously off her rocker. Of course Michael couldn't resist the urge to gloat, offering her a smug grin. Lauren stuck out her tongue at him defiantly, flipping him off before turning to leave the house.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

They spent the rest of the day traveling all over Jefferson Parish visiting the Baldwin families that Michael had found listed in the phonebook. Two of the homes they visited in Gretna had indeed been occupied by Baldwin families at one point in time, but they had since moved. They traveled to three more residences located in the picturesque Grand Isle area, but the Baldwin family members who they spoke to there had never heard of Lowell Baldwin. Michael was ready to give up, resigned to the fact that their search was a fruitless one. But Lauren was persistent not wanting to give up just yet. She insisted that they visit the last address on Michael's list before calling it a day.

It was already early evening by the time they pulled up in front of the old plantation in New Orleans' Garden District. The three weary travelers got out of the taxi cab, gazing up at the sprawling property in amazement. A long, dirt road with giant oak trees on either side lead up to the Victorian style mansion. A spacious veranda framed the home's exterior, on both the first and second floors. Tall arched windows with decorative cornices gave the house a welcoming look. A pair of ivory columns stood near the front door, giving the home an added touch of elegance. It was like something out of Gone With The Wind.

"Wow," Kevin sighed. "This place is bigger than our whole apartment building!"

"This house is amazing, Michael." Lauren said in awe, reaching out to take his hand in hers. "Can you imagine living in a place like this?"

"No," Michael said honestly. "And I can't imagine my father living here either."

"Why not?" Lauren asked, confused by his lack of enthusiasm.

"If Lowell Baldwin could afford to live in a place like this, then I highly doubt he would have shacked up with someone like my mother." Michael declared resolutely. "Come on, Lauren. Let's just go."

"I don't think so. We are _not _leaving without asking whoever lives here if they've heard of your father." Lauren argued stubbornly.

"Baby, I appreciate everything you've done for me, but it's time we face the facts…

"No, Michael. I'm not gonna let you give up. Even if your father isn't here in Louisiana, he's out there somewhere and we _will_ find him." She looked up at him determinedly, reaching up to softly caress his cheek. "I promise." Michael offered her a sad smile, bending to place a quick kiss on her lips.

"Come on Kevin, let's go." Michael called out distractedly, placing his hand on the small of Lauren's back as he lead her towards the waiting taxi. "Kevin?" He and Lauren looked back, only to discover that Kevin was no longer there.

"Where did he go?" Lauren asked worriedly. Michael glanced down the oak framed trail leading up to the mansion and saw that his little brother was already halfway to the house.

"Kevin, get back here!" He demanded, but the little boy kept on walking. Michael sighed in frustration. "I guess we'll be paying Mr. William Baldwin a visit after all." Lauren smiled up at him in excitement and the two of them rushed to catch up with Kevin.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

They were greeted at the door by an elderly gentleman in an expensive looking suit.

"Yes. How may I help you?" He asked pretentiously. Michael glanced at Lauren before responding.

"Um, are you William Baldwin?" Michael questioned, shifting nervously under the man's scrutinizing gaze.

"No, I am not." He declared, giving no further explanation. Lauren was quickly becoming frustrated by the man's arrogant attitude.

"Well, is he here? We'd like to speak with him if you don't mind." She said, glaring at the older man in contempt. He looked at her with disinterest.

"Do you have an appointment?" He inquired.

"No." Lauren admitted reluctantly.

"Mr. Baldwin does not meet with anyone unless they have scheduled an appointment with him first." He informed them snootily, already starting to close the door in their faces.

"Wait," Michael blurted out, slamming his hand on the door to prevent it from closing. The man looked at him in shock. "I'm looking for my father. His name is Lowell Baldwin and all we want to do is ask Mr. Baldwin if he's ever heard of him. It'll only take a second." He said pleadingly. The man looked down at Michael curiously, his superior attitude seeming to falter momentarily.

"I'm sorry, son. There's no one here by that name and I can assure you that Mr. Baldwin has never heard of this Lowell that you speak of." He smiled at Michael awkwardly. "Now, if you'll excuse me." He said dismissively, closing the door and locking it soundly. Michael sighed in resignation.

"He's lying." Kevin declared. Michael and Lauren turned to look at the little boy curiously.

"How do you know that?" Lauren asked.

"He had that look in his eyes," Kevin explained uncomfortably. "The same one Tom has when he promises not to hit me anymore." Lauren smiled down at the little boy sadly, tears in her eyes.

"We've done enough searching for one day," She declared resolutely. "How about we go get some ice cream?"

"Dessert before dinner?" Kevin asked in excitement.

"Sure, if that's what you want." Lauren said pleasantly, taking the little boy by the hand and stepping down off the veranda. She turned back when she realized Michael wasn't following them. He was staring at the closed door as if willing it to open.

"Michael?" Lauren asked, concerned. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," He said softly, turning around to face her. He smiled reassuringly. "Let's go get that ice cream."

The three of them held hands and walked down the long path back towards their waiting taxi cab. In their rush to leave the property, they didn't notice the man watching them from a window on the second floor of the house.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

_Genoa City, WI_

_9:28pm_

Danny lay awake in bed, unable to sleep. He was still livid at the way Lauren had left him to be with Michael. He didn't like losing, especially to some worthless punk from the slums of Detroit City. He had to figure out a way to make her pay, to make them _both _pay.

"Mmmm, baby. Why are you still awake?" The blonde asked as she moved closer to him in bed. He pushed her away.

"Just go back to sleep, Christine. I've got some business to take care of." Danny said distractedly, getting out of bed and putting on his robe. He walked over to the phone and dialed a familiar number.

"Hello?" answered the voice on the other end of the line.

"Paul! Hey, what's up buddy?" Danny asked conversationally.

"Not much, just getting ready for movie night with mom." Paul declared in excitement.

"That, uh, that sounds like fun." He lied. "Anyway, are you still thinking of becoming a private investigator when you're done school?"

"I sure am. Why do you ask?"

"How would you like to get a little unofficial work experience?" Danny inquired.

"I'm listening…"

"I need you to run a background check on someone for me." He explained.

"Sounds simple enough. What's the name?" Paul asked, anxious to get started.

"Baldwin," Danny declared. "Michael Baldwin."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


	10. Chapter Nine

-1Chapter Nine:

"That was the biggest ice cream parlor I've ever been to!" Kevin exclaimed. "How many different flavors did they have again?"

"Ninety Nine," Lauren replied distractedly. Michael had slipped his arm around her waist and was gently stoking her hip in the most delightful way. "And I think I read that they're unveiling their 100th flavor next Friday."

"Cool. Maybe we can go back next weekend and try it." Kevin suggested hopefully as he ran up ahead of them towards the Fenmore cottage. Lauren playfully pushed Michael away when he began nibbling on her ear. He grinned at her mischievously as they joined Kevin on the veranda.

"I can't find the key," Lauren said in frustration as she rooted through her purse. "I know I put it in here."

"Looking for this?" A familiar voice asked from behind them.

"Mrs. Everett!" Lauren exclaimed, turning to smile at the older woman as she walked up the pathway towards them.

"I found this on the bathroom sink while I was cleaning up," Mrs. Everett explained, reaching out to place the key in Lauren's hand. "I figured you'd be needing it."

"Thanks." She said gratefully, fitting the key in the lock and opening the door to the cottage. "Would you like to come in for a bit?"

"I actually came over to see if ya'll would like to come have dinner at my house? Unless you've already eaten…"

"Just ice cream," Kevin informed her. "But I'm still hungry." Mrs. Everett chuckled at the little boy.

"Well then, I've got a big pot of clam chowder with your name on it." She declared pleasantly. "Come on, I'll heat it up." Kevin leapt off the veranda to follow the old lady back to her house. Michael and Lauren looked at each other reluctantly. As much as they enjoyed the older woman's company, they really wanted to be alone. Michael cleared his throat.

"Um, I'm not that hungry actually." He said casually. Mrs. Everett stopped walking and turned back to look at the two teens.

"Yeah, me either." Lauren added sheepishly. Mrs. Everett gave them a knowing smile.

"I see," She glanced down at Kevin and the little boy smiled up at her pleasantly. "Well, why don't I take this little fella over to my place for supper and you two can go out on the town or something?" Mrs. Everett suggested.

"Oh, no. We couldn't ask you to do that…" Michael started to protest.

"You're not asking, I'm offering." Mrs. Everett corrected him stubbornly. "Besides, the girls are coming over tonight and I could use a new Bridge partner."

"Bridge?" Kevin said curiously. " Is that like Go Fish?"

"Oh, dear." She chuckled. "We've got a lot of work to do."

"You're sure this is okay?" Lauren asked.

"Yes, sweetie. I'm sure." Mrs. Everett insisted. "Now go on, have a good time. Kevin and I will have a splendid evening, won't we?" The little boy nodded up at her enthusiastically, curious to find out if there was any witchcraft involved in the game of Bridge.

"Thank you." Michael said sincerely, offering the woman a warm smile. She nodded in understanding. Taking Kevin by the hand, she lead him off the property and back towards her house.

"So," Michael said suggestively, placing his hand on the small of Lauren's back and ushering her inside the small cottage. "What do you want to do now?"

"I think there's a box of board games around here somewhere," She said casually, shutting the door and locking it behind her. "We could play Scrabble? Maybe get a game of Trivial Pursuit going and then…" She shrieked in surprise as Michael pinned her up against the wall, fusing his mouth to hers in a searing kiss. She giggled against his lips, wrapping her arms around his neck to pull him closer.

"You smell so good," Michael mumbled in between kisses, running his tongue along her lower lip until she parted them with a sigh. "You taste good too." He declared before continuing his assault on her eager mouth.

"Yeah?" Lauren said breathlessly when he broke their kiss and began nibbling on her earlobe, soothing the tender skin with his tongue. "You know what would taste even better?"

"I can think of a thing or two." He whispered into her ear seductively, his warm breath making her shiver as she remembered how he'd spent most of last night with his head buried between her thighs.

"I meant dinner," Lauren admonished him playfully, moving out of his embrace and walking across the dark room to turn on a lamp. "I want you to take me out to dinner." She declared stubbornly, smiling up at him as he moved towards her slowly, invading her personal space once more.

"Oh, really?" he asked teasingly, running his finger down the length of her arm in an attempt to change her mind. She nodded her head resolutely, taking a step back. "Why can't we just order in?"

"Because," She started to say as she reached up and undid her pearl necklace, bending to place it on the coffee table beside her. "We're in _New Orleans_, Michael. The city that never sleeps. There's so much to do and see…" she explained, kicking off her heels and tilting her head to the side as she carefully removed her earrings. "And if I'm not mistaken," she moved closer to him until they were mere inches apart. "We haven't gone out on an actual date yet."

"You're joking, right?" Michael chuckled, looking down at her disbelievingly. She glared back at him, eyebrow raised in defiance. "After everything that's happened between us, you want to go out on a first date?"

"Better late than never," She reasoned, slowly reaching up to unzip the back of her dress. "Unless of course you don't _want _to go out with me?" She teased, but there was a hint of insecurity in her voice. Lauren knew he was attracted to her, but she had no idea if his feelings ran any deeper than that.

"Well, I would rather stay here so I could have you all to myself," he leered suggestively. "But I guess it wouldn't hurt to go out for a bit. I mean, it can't possibly go any worse than the last time we went out for a drink together, right?" Michael said jokingly. She forced a smile, not wanting to think about that night. His black eye was reminder enough.

"Okay then, so it's settled." Lauren said decisively, reaching up to run her hand down the front of his chest before stepping around him and heading down the hall towards the washroom. "I'm gonna go have a quick bath and change into something more _festive_."

"Do you need me to scrub your back?" Michael offered chivalrously as he watched her slowly shed her dress in the dimly lit hallway, just outside the bathroom door. She turned to face him, wearing nothing but a pair of black silk panties and a smile.

"I think I can manage on my own, thanks. You just make sure you're dressed and ready by the time I get out of here." Lauren ordered, pleased at the way his gaze kept drifting down to admire her breasts.

"And if I'm not ready in time?" Michael teased defiantly.

"Then I hope you enjoyed the view, because you'll be bunking with Kevin tonight." Lauren threatened playfully before stepping into the bathroom and closing the door firmly behind her. Michael chuckled, already removing his shirt as he obediently made his way towards the bedroom to get changed.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"That comes to $22.50." The cab driver informed them as they pulled up in front of the restaurant on Bourbon Street. Lauren reached into her purse, but Michael stopped her.

"I'll take care of it." He informed her as he reached into his pocket and pulled out two twenties. She looked at him questioningly. "What? I broke my piggy bank before we left Detroit." He explained, reaching over the seat to hand the driver his money.

"Michael, you need that money for school." Lauren said quietly, tugging on his shirt sleeve to get his attention. He turned to look at her, smiling reassuringly.

"Don't worry about it. After everything you've done for me, it's the least I can do." He reached out to gently tuck a wayward strand of hair behind her ear. "Besides, this _is _our first date after all."

"That doesn't mean you have to pay for everything." Lauren insisted, hating that money continued to be an issue between them.

"And who said I was paying for everything?" He said incredulously, retrieving his change from the driver before opening the car door. "Dinner's on you, babe, and Mikey's got a craving for lobster." He teased, stepping out of the taxi and slamming the door behind him. Lauren shook her head in amusement as she got out of the taxi and joined him on the curb.

"Oh man, I haven't been here in years." She exclaimed, staring up at the old building in awe. It still looked the same, right down to the heavy oak doors that were decorated with carvings of jesters, their grinning faces staring down at the restaurant's patrons mirthfully The windows were tinted, preventing anyone from seeing inside. And with no sign above the door identifying the building's purpose, one would never know that the ominous looking structure was actually one of the most famous restaurants in all of New Orleans.

"What is this place?" Michael asked in fascination as he looked at her questioningly. She took his hand in hers and started dragging him towards the entrance.

"I'm not sure," She admitted, smiling up at him mischievously. "But I can't wait to find out."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Welcome to Harrrah's. Is it just the two of you this evening?" The attractive young hostess yelled in order to be heard above the noise in the packed restaurant. Michael slipped his arm around Lauren's waist and pulled her closer.

"Yep. And do you have a table near the back?" He questioned hopefully, wanting to keep Lauren all to himself. The hostess laughed, gesturing to the crowded dance floor and occupied booths.

"It's gonna be at least a half hour wait for any table at all." She informed them, smiling at Michael regretfully. Lauren glared at her, not liking the way the woman's eyes lingered on Michael's lips. He didn't seem to notice.

"Do you want to go somewhere else?" He suggested and even with the jazz music blaring, Lauren could hear his stomach growl. She was about to agree when she noticed an empty chair near the bar.

"They can serve us our food at the bar, can't they?" Lauren asked the hostess. The girl looked at her in bewilderment, glancing at the crowded bar area.

"Yeah, but…"

"Then have a waitress sent over as soon as possible, please." Lauren instructed her with an air of confidence that came from years of getting exactly what she wanted. "Come on, Michael." She took him by the hand and lead him further into the crowded restaurant. He would have found her domineering behaviour annoying if he wasn't so turned on by it. They squeezed their way through the crowd of drunken revelers on the dance floor until they reached the crowded bar.

"There's only one seat." Michael informed her as he glanced at the lone barstool that was sandwiched in between two portly looking men.

"Way to state the obvious, Michael." Lauren said teasingly as she sauntered up to the bar and cleared her throat loudly, causing the two men to look up at her curiously. "Excuse me boys, but would you mind moving over just a bit so I could have a seat?" One of the men leisurely looked her up and down, taking in her short skirt and low cut blouse.

"Sure thing , love. But I've got a seat for you right here if you want?" He said, grinning at her lasciviously as he motioned to his lap. Lauren tried not to cringe.

"As tempting as that sounds, I'll have to pass." She turned him down politely, pulling out the empty barstool as both men shifted over to give her more room. Michael came up behind her, placing his hands on her shoulders possessively.

"Suit yourself." The man said gruffly, glaring at Michael before turning his attention back to his drink.

"Here," Lauren said to Michael, patting the chair enthusiastically. "Sit."

"Yes, Ma'am." He said, obediently taking a seat on the tall barstool. She smiled at him mischievously as she placed her hands on the bar for support and hopped up onto his lap. He wrapped his arms around her slender waist and pulled her closer, resting his chin on her shoulder as he whispered in her ear. "Comfy?"

"Very." She said, turning her head to the side so that she could look into his eyes. He smiled at her before burying his nose in her hair, nuzzling her gently. Michael had never been much of a cuddler, so he had no idea why the urge to hold her was so strong. Lauren didn't seem to have any complaints as she leaned back against his chest, sighing in contentment.

"You look so beautiful ." He cooed softly into her ear and she giggled as his warm breath tickled her skin.

"You don't have to flatter me ya know, you're getting lucky tonight regardless." Lauren informed him seductively. He stopped what he was doing and looked up at her, his expression serious.

"That wasn't flattery, Lauren. It was the truth." He reached out to gently hold her face in his hand so that she couldn't look away. "You are the most gorgeous woman I have ever met, and I'm gonna keep on telling you that until you finally believe me." He said fiercely. She blinked away the tears that were threatening to escape, unnerved by his ability to see the insecurity she tried so desperately to hide behind false bravado.

"Can I get you two kids something to drink?" The bartender interrupted them and Lauren welcomed the distraction.

"Um, yeah. Can I get a margarita?"

"Frozen, or on the rocks?" He asked casually, wiping off a glass with his tattered dish towel.

"Frozen, please." She declared, needing something cool to offer her some relief from the sweltering Louisiana heat.

"And for you, sir?" The bartender asked Michael as he started to prepare Lauren's drink, pouring a generous shot of tequila into the empty glass.

"I'll just have a beer." He ordered casually. Lauren turned to look at him in disbelief.

"We're in a bar. On Bourbon Street. The party capital of the world, and you're gonna order a _beer_?!" She asked him incredulously. He shrugged.

"I like beer." He said simply, not wanting to get into his reasons for avoiding hard liquor. He refused to think about Tom or his father tonight. Tonight was about them. Lauren eyed him suspiciously, but she decided not to push the issue.

"Alright then, a beer it is." Lauren confirmed to the bartender who nodded once before leaving to go get their drinks.

"I can't believe he didn't ask us for ID." Michael said discreetly and Lauren chuckled.

"Yeah, they're a lot more laid back about stuff like that down here." She informed him, snuggling further into his embrace. She could definitely get used to this whole sharing a seat thing.

"One more reason to love this city." He proclaimed jokingly. Lauren laid her head back against his shoulder and looked up at his face in the dim light.

"You do, don't you? Love it here I mean." She questioned, having noticed the changes in him since they'd arrived in Louisiana the day before. He was so much more relaxed now, more open and willing to let his guard down around her. He just kept unfolding like a flower and she reveled in each new discovery.

"Yeah, I do." He admitted, smiling down at her in contentment. "I mean, it beats the hell out of Detroit. It's gonna be hard to go back there after all this." He declared somberly and Lauren could tell he wasn't just referring to the city.

"Here you go; one frozen margarita and one Bud Light." The bartender interrupted them yet again as he placed their drinks down on the bar. "Do you wanna pay now, or should I start a tab?"

"Tab please," Lauren said decisively, sitting up straighter in Michael's lap as she reached forward to grab their drinks. She handed Michael his bottle of Bud and held her glass up to his in a toast. "To New Orleans." She said wistfully.

"To New Orleans." He agreed, clinking the neck of his bottle against her margarita glass. He watched in amusement as she tipped her head back and downed half of her drink in one gulp. Queen of the kegger indeed.

"Now, where the hell is the waitress? I'm starved!"

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Twenty minutes later, Lauren had managed to track down their waitress and ordered a plate of buffalo wings as an appetizer while they waited for their jambalaya. She was walking back towards the bar when the hostess approached her.

"I just thought I'd let you know that there's a table available now. If you and your friend would like to sit there instead I could…"

"No, we're good thanks." Lauren said dismissively, glaring at the woman in annoyance before walking away.

"What took you so long?" Michael teased as he stole a wing off the plate she was holding and took a huge bite. "Holy sh!t, that's spicy!"

"What can I say? I like it hot." Lauren said suggestively as she climbed back up into his lap.

"I thought you don't eat meat?" He pointed out, cautiously taking another bite.

"I don't." She said simply and he watched as she picked a carrot stick up off the plate and dipped it into the spicy buffalo wing sauce before bringing it to her lips. He shook his head in amusement.

"But what about dinner? I thought you ordered jambalaya?"

"I did. Vegetarian jambalaya." She clarified, chewing on her spicy carrot stick. "For me anyway. Don't worry, I got you the real deal."

"Good, because unlike you I can't live off of curried tofu. I'm a man, I have needs!" He exclaimed playfully, reaching around her to grab his beer off the bar.

"Yes, you certainly do. And I plan on taking care of all of them tonight." She promised, offering him a seductive smile before finishing off her third margarita. "Bartender! Another round please."

"Whoa, don't you think you've had enough margaritas for one night?" Michael said cautiously, not wanting to sound too preachy.

"You're right." Lauren agreed before turning her attention back to the bartender. "Just bring me the bottle of tequila and two shot glasses." She instructed the older man "It's time to get this party started."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Two plates of jambalaya and half a bottle of tequila later, Michael and Lauren were feeling no pain. She was still seated in his lap, only she was facing him now, straddling his thighs in a very unladylike fashion. Michael wasn't quite as far gone as she was, having only indulged in a few shots of tequila after she'd squirted lime juice down her neck and instructed him to lick it off. Who was he to refuse her?

"Psssssst!" Lauren hissed loudly, trying to get his attention even though she already had it. "I am so drunk right now!"

"You sure are." Michael chuckled, pulling her closer when he felt her start to tip to one side.

"Hey, hey, hey. Are you trying to get frisky with me?" She asked, her words slurring slightly as she wound her arms around his neck to steady herself.

"I hate to break it to you, but you're the one straddling my lap. If anyone's being taken advantage of here, it's me." He said teasingly, running his hands up and down her back.

"You're right!" Lauren gasped in realization, covering her mouth with her hand. "I'm such a horrible person."

"No you're not." Michael argued, caught off guard by her response to his joke.

"Yes I am!" She insisted, placing her hands on his shoulders for support as she climbed down off of his lap, nearly losing her balance more than once. "I always do this! I get drunk and make a fool of myself."

"Sweetie, you didn't do anything wrong. I was only kidding." Michael tried to explain, getting up and moving to stand in front of her beside the bar.

"Really?" She sniffled, blinking back tears.

"Really," He assured her, reaching up to gently wipe away her tears. "You are _not _a horrible person, you are the most incredible person I have ever met." He told her sincerely. "And you can take advantage of me anytime, anywhere." He teased, hoping for a less dramatic reaction this time.

"You say the sweetest things." Lauren said, smiling up at him. "That's one of the things that I love about you. I mean, yeah, I know I'm hot and everything and guys are always telling me how beautiful I am, but I know they don't mean it. They just want to get in my pants." She explained, pausing to take a breath. "But not you. It's different with you, everything is different with you. I can just look into your eyes and tell that you mean what you say." She shook her head in frustration. "Does that make sense?"

"Yeah." Michael said softly. "It makes perfect sense."

"Okay, good cuz sometimes I don't make sense." She admitted, laughing at herself as she took his hand in hers and started pulling him towards the crowded dance floor. "I love this song!" She declared, singing along to the lyrics as she wrapped her arms around his neck and began swaying to the music.

"_Just a small town girl, livin' in a lonely world  
She took the midnight train goin' anywhere  
Just a city boy, born and raised in south Detroit  
He took the midnight train goin' anywhere"_

"Oh my God, this is totally our song!" Lauren yelled enthusiastically. Michael smiled in agreement, holding her close so that her chest was pressed up against his. "I'll think of you every time I hear it." She promised, looking up at him pleadingly. "Will you think of me?"

"Every second of every day." He whispered fiercely, not sure if she would be able to hear him above the loud music penetrating their eardrums. Her eyes shown with unshed tears as she offered him a sad smile. He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her passionately, wanting to make her forget that their time together was running out. When their lips parted, she looked up at him somberly and he couldn't resist belting out the last few lines of the song.

"_Don't stop believin'_

_Hold on to the feelin'"_

Lauren giggled at the way he sang off key, his voice cracking as he tried to reach the high notes. He grinned at her as the song ended, pleased to see that she was slowly coming out of her funk. Just then, a new song started blaring from the speakers and Michael groaned when he realized what it was.

_Gloria, you're always on the run now  
Running after somebody  
You gotta get him somehow  
I think you've got to slow down  
Before you start to blow it  
I think you're headed for a breakdown  
So be careful not to show it_

"I bet your mother loves having her own theme song." Lauren chuckled, her mood improving as she watched him roll his eyes at her comment.

"The lyrics are pretty damn accurate. Especially the part about hearing voices in her head." Michael said jokingly and Lauren burst into a fit of laughter.

"You're horrible!" She admonished him lightheartedly as she wiped at the tears in her eyes. "Listen, I'm gonna go to the washroom and freshen up. I'll be right back, okay?"

"Yeah, sure. I'll be here." He said, bending to place a quick kiss on her lips. She smiled up at him before she turned and walked away, disappearing into the crowd. It was then that Michael felt a tap on his shoulder.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 

Exiting the washroom, Lauren was pleased to note that the room was no longer spinning. Feeling less nauseous but still pleasantly buzzed, she made her way back towards the bar. The crowd had thinned out a bit, people calling it a night and going home to get a few hours sleep before heading back to work the next morning. Lauren was ready to leave too, but sleep was the last thing on her mind.

"Ready to pay your tab?" The bartender questioned her as she approached the bar. Michael was nowhere to be seen.

"Yeah, sure thing." Lauren said distractedly, reaching into her purse as she scanned the room looking for a familiar face. "Um, do you know where my friend went?"

"He's still out on the dance floor." The older man informed her casually, reaching out to accept the money she was handing to him. "Seems he has quite the fan club." He added, nodding his head towards the still crowded dance floor. Lauren turned to see what he was talking about.

And that's when she saw him. He was in the middle of the dance floor, his body moving to the music as he and a handful of others danced along to the Electric Slide. She smiled at the sight, loving to see him act so carefree. She started walking towards the dance floor, wanting to share one last dance with him before they headed back to the cottage. But then the song changed, and Lauren stopped dead in her tracks as she watched the two girls who were dancing beside Michael turn to face him.

"This song is so hot," the one girl exclaimed, running her hand down Michael's arm and grabbing hold of his hand. "You have to dance with us again, you're so good!" she slurred, obviously drunk.

"Yeah, you're definitely the hottest guy in this place." The second girl added as she moved to stand behind him, placing her hands on his hips as she began swaying to the music.

"Thanks girls, but I think I've had enough dancing for one night." Michael declined politely, trying to move away from the two scantily clad sorority girls who had approached him earlier when Lauren left to go use the washroom. He wondered what was taking her so long?

"Oh come on, just one more song." The taller girl pleaded, reaching up to wrap her arms around his neck and grinding her hips into his. Lauren felt a lump form in her throat when he didn't push her away.

"Don't you like us, Michael?" The other girl asked seductively, pressing her chest up against his back. "Don't you think we're hot?"

"Of course I think you're hot," He declared uncomfortably, grabbing hold of the one girl's arms and removing them from his neck. "But I'm…"

"Taken." Lauren said sharply, interrupting the little threesome. Michael looked up at her in surprise, he hadn't noticed she was there.

"Lauren," He started to explain, but she cut him off again.

"It's late. Shouldn't you two be back at Barbie's dream house by now?" She said snidely, turning her attention to the two leggy blondes as they moved away from Michael and came to stand in front of her.

"Awww, sounds like somebody's upset that she can't keep her man's attention." The one girl taunted, sizing Lauren up as her friend did the same.

"Yeah, it's not our fault that he just can't seem to keep his hands off of us."

"Really? Is that what happened?" Lauren questioned them sarcastically. "Because from where I was standing it looked more like two desperate sluts forcing themselves on any guy sympathetic enough to give them a second glance."

"Fuck you!" One of the girls spat out in contempt, reaching out with both hands to shove Lauren backwards. She stumbled slightly before recovering enough to get her wits about her. She glared at the two blondes in a drunken, jealous rage.

"Oh it's on now, bitch!" Lauren exclaimed as she leapt on the girl who had pushed her and started choking the life out of her.

"Are you fucking crazy? Get off of her!" The other girl shrieked as grabbed hold of Lauren's hair and pulled, trying to help her friend. The feisty redhead merely reached behind her and elbowed the girl in her ribs, causing her to cry out in pain. Her friend took advantage of the momentary distraction and pushed Lauren off of her, hitting Lauren across the face as she got the upper hand. Lauren kneed her in the stomach

and the girl doubled over in pain.

"You crazy, bitch! I'll kill you!" The other girl threatened, already charging towards Lauren for round two.

"I'd like to see you try." Lauren challenged her, ready to attack when a pair of a strong arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her back.

"Come on, Lauren. That's enough." Michael chuckled, deciding that it was time to put an end to this little catfight, no matter how much he may have been enjoying the show. Lauren whipped around to face him and he was shocked by the hurt and anger he saw in her eyes.

"Don't you fucking touch me." She spat out in contempt, pulling away from him. He watched in confusion as she turned her back on him and left the dance floor, storming out of the restaurant without so much as a glance in his direction.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Lauren! Where the hell are you going?" Michael called out as he chased after her.

"Leave me alone, Michael." She warned, picking up her pace as she hurried down the sidewalk. It was late but the streets were still crowded with drunken revelers, mostly college students who had come down to The Big Easy on summer vacation. Lauren pushed her way through the crowd, wanting to get as far away from it all as she possibly could. She sighed in relief when she turned the corner and found herself in a less popular area of the city, the crowds thinning out noticeably.

"Would you stop running away from me so we can talk about this?" Michael asked in frustration, breathing hard as he finally caught up to her. She slowed down, but didn't stop walking.

"What is there to talk about, Michael?" She asked him impatiently, her eyes focused on the ground as she continued walking down the nearly deserted street. He moved to stand in front of her, forcing her to stop walking. She glared up at him in annoyance.

"Why are you acting like this? Nothing happened!" He explained.

"It didn't look like nothing to me." She mumbled angrily, trying to step past him but he blocked her movements.

"They came up to me and asked me to dance. It would have been rude to say no."

"And since when do you give a shit about being rude, huh? When we first met you were a total jerk to me!" Lauren spat out accusingly.

"You're different." He said simply, his voice losing some of its edge as he realized just how hurt she really was.

"Is that supposed to be a compliment?" She asked, unconvinced.

"Look, I'm not used to having women throw themselves at me, okay? So when those two came onto me, it was…nice." He tried to explain, but it only seemed to upset her even more.

"You don't owe me an explanation, alright?" She said in frustration, her gaze focused on his chest because she couldn't bare to look him in the eyes. "I'm not your girlfriend. You're free to do whatever you want with whomever you want."

" So is that why you're acting like you just caught me cheating on you?" He said accusingly. She glared up at him then, eyebrow raised in indignation. "Because I wasn't."

"You weren't what?"

"Cheating on you." He declared, gazing at her pleadingly. "I don't want those girls, Lauren. They'd go running for the hills once they realized how truly fucked up I am." He teased. She tried to hide her smile, but he saw it. "You're the only one who's stuck around, Lauren. You're the only one I want." He admitted softly. She glanced up at him, searching his eyes and finding nothing but sincerity in them.

"What are we doing, Michael?" She asked, sighing in frustration. "What is this?"

"What do you mean?" He asked, not following her.

"_This," _she motioned at the space between them. "Us."

"I don't know what you want me to say, Lauren. This doesn't exactly happen to me everyday."

"Oh, and you think I make a habit of traipsing across the country with guys I've only known for a few days?" She said indignantly. Michael rolled his eyes in exasperation, frustrated by their conversation. "But that's just it, isn't it? It doesn't _feel _like we just met." She tried to explain, looking up at him in fascination. "It feels like I've known you forever."

"I feel the same way." Michael admitted softly, reaching out to stroke her cheek. She closed her eyes and leaned into his touch.

"I'm sorry," She apologized, laughing at herself in embarrassment. "I get so emotional when I drink."

"Well, I think we both learned a valuable lesson tonight." He said teasingly.

"What's that?" She asked, smiling up at him in amusement.

"Bars are definitely notour scene." He joked and she laughed in agreement.

"Hey! At least I won _my _bar fight." Lauren said playfully, lacing her fingers through his as they started leisurely walking down the narrow street.

"That was pretty damn hot you know. Watching you kick ass like that. And all because of little ol' me." Michael boasted proudly, walking alongside her hand in hand.

"Well, I wasn't about to just stand there and let a couple of tramps put the moves on my man." She teased.

"Is that how you think of me?" Michael asked curiously. "As 'your man' "?

"Yeah," Lauren admitted, a look of realization coming across her face. "Yeah, I do." She glanced up at him timidly. "Is that okay?"

"Lauren," He sighed, stopping abruptly and moving to stand in front of her. "It's more than okay."

"And that's why it bothered me so much," She started to explain, looking up at him coyly. "To see you with those girls. To see them touching you…" She moved closer to him and placed her hand on his chest, right above his heart. "Because you're mine, Michael. And I want to keep you all to myself."

"I think I can live with that." he agreed, smiling down at her in contentment. She returned his smile, wrapping her arms around his neck and nuzzling him softly.

"Good," She purred, looking up at him seductively. "Now take me home, Michael."

She didn't have to ask twice.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Michael! What are you doing?!" Lauren shrieked as he picked her up in his arms and started walking down the narrow pathway towards the cottage.

"Just humor me, alright?" Michael requested in earnest. Lauren was touched by the sentimental display, reaching up to wrap her arm around his neck, she laid her head down against his shoulder as he carried her to the front door. It did kind of feel like their wedding, she realized, overcome with nervous anticipation. She couldn't wait to make love with him. To hold him in her arms and…

"Wait!" Lauren said abruptly, lifting her head up to look at him in concern. "What about Kevin? We need to go pick him up from Mrs. Everett's."

"Shit! You're right." Michael exclaimed, looking down at her regretfully. "I completely forgot." He admitted. They'd both been so caught up in each other that the little boy had slipped their minds.

"I guess we'd better go get him then." Lauren said reluctantly as Michael set her down on the veranda.

"I guess so." He sighed in resignation. As much as he loved Kevin and was happy to have him there with them, he really just wanted to be alone with Lauren. Neither of them knew how long it would be until they were forced to return to the real world, so he wanted to make the most of whatever time they had left together. But he couldn't very well abandon his little brother…

"You wait here, I'll go get him." Michael said, already turning to leave.

"Hang on a second!" Lauren called out after him, her attention drawn to a small piece of paper that was taped to the front door. "What's this?"

"Looks like a note." Michael surmised, ripping the paper down off the door and studying it closely.

"Well, what does it say?" she asked curiously.

"_I thought you both could do with a bit of alone time, so I've arranged for Kevin to spend the night at my house. I'll bring him around in the morning. Have fun you two, and don't do anything I wouldn't do. Love, Mrs. Everett." _Michael read the note out loud.

"Wow. Just when I think she can't possibly get any nicer, she goes and proves me wrong." Lauren said in amazement, touched by her former nanny's generosity.

"Yeah, she seems like a really special lady." Michael agreed. Normally he wouldn't feel comfortable leaving his little brother with a virtual stranger, but something about the older woman filled him with a sense of ease and he knew Kevin was in good hands.

"So," Lauren said casually, unlocking the door and leaning back against it to gaze at him suggestively. "Looks like we have the place all to ourselves now."

"Looks that way." Michael nodded, grinning at her lasciviously as he followed her inside the house. She was in his arms the moment the door closed behind them. He was addicted to kissing her, he realized. The way she pulled him closer and parted her lips with a sigh. The little sounds she made as his tongue swept into her mouth for a taste. He could kiss her all night, but Lauren had other ideas.

"Come on," she said breathlessly, tearing her mouth from his and leading him down the dark hallway towards the bedroom. He followed her obediently, wrapping his arms around her waist and kissing the side of her neck as they fumbled their way inside the humid room. Lauren moved away from him reluctantly, turning on the ceiling fan and walking over to open the patio doors. There was a cool breeze coming off the lake and she sighed in relief as it washed over her flushed skin. She turned around to face him. He was standing beside the foot of the bed, gazing at her in amazement.

"C'mere." She purred seductively, crooking her finger and beckoning him to her. He was at her side in two quick strides, cupping her face in his hands and kissing her soundly on the lips.

"I can't believe this is happening." Michael said in wonder, pulling back slightly so that he could look into her eyes.

"I know," She sighed, smiling up at him in excitement. Taking both of his hands in hers, she lead him back towards the bed. "Take off your shirt." She instructed him playfully, sitting down on the edge of the bed and gazing up at him in eager anticipation. He did as he was told, removing his worn cotton t-shirt and dropping it to the floor. Lauren ran her eyes over his bare chest in silent appreciation, reaching out to touch him reverently. He sighed as her hands made contact with his skin.

"Your turn," He teased, motioning to her low cut blouse. She pulled her hands away, raising her eyebrow in playful defiance. "Please." He pleaded softly and she smiled up at him in adoration before slowly removing her shirt and tossing it over his shoulder.

"Is that better?" She asked coyly, sitting back a bit so that he could get a better look at her breasts; the black lace of her bra in stark contrast to her porcelain skin.

"Much." He sighed, reaching out to touch her but she swatted his hand away.

"It's my turn," She said stubbornly, slipping her fingers through his belt loops and pulling him closer. "These pants have gotta go." She declared, smiling up at him seductively as she undid the button of his jeans and pulled the zipper down slowly. He tangled his hands in her hair, gently running his fingers through the silky strands as she gently pulled his pants down over his hips, taking his boxers with them. Lauren leaned back slightly, taking in the sight of him. His well toned chest shone in the moonlight, giving him a chiseled look. Her eyes drifted lower, admirering his erection and the way it jutted out towards her.

"Very impressive." She praised, leaning in closer to get a better look.

"Thanks." He choked out, moaning softly as she took him in her hand and began stroking him gently. She felt him grow harder, shuddering as she continued to stroke his sensitive flesh. Then, eyes never leaving his, she leaned forward and slowly took him in her mouth.

"Oh my God…" Michael groaned in pleasure, his hands tightening in Lauren's hair as she ran her tongue along the length of his penis. "So good, sweetie. That feels so good." He hissed, resisting the urge to thrust into her mouth. Lauren moaned in response, the vibrations sending ripples of pleasure through his body and pushing him dangerously close to the edge. "Lauren," Michael gasped, trying to get her attention. She ignored him, sucking him deeper into her mouth. "Baby, you gotta stop. You gotta stop." He pleaded, taking a step back.

"But I was just getting started." Lauren pouted, reaching out to pull him back in.

"If you don't stop now, this is gonna be over before it begins." Michael said regretfully, cupping her face in his hands. "And I want tonight to be special."

"It already is." She assured him, kicking off her heels and laying back against the mattress. "So, are you just gonna stand there all night?" She teased. He smiled down at her seductively before stepping out of his pants and climbing onto the bed. He crawled after her as she playfully scooted back towards the headboard.

"Where do you think you're going?" He said jokingly, grabbing hold of her ankles and pulling her to him. She giggled, wrapping her arms around his neck as he laid down on top of her. They both gasped at the feel of skin against skin as his chest made contact with her breasts, still clad in her designer bra. Their eyes met and a look of wonderment passed between them before Michael bent to capture her lips with his. He kissed her long and hard, smiling in satisfaction when he felt her begin to squirm underneath him impatiently.

"Off," She gasped, pulling her mouth away from his and sitting up straight. He moved away from her abruptly, a look of panic crossing his face.

"Did I do something wrong?" He asked worriedly. She looked at him as though he'd just grown a second head.

"What? No, you dumby!" She admonished him playfully. "I just want to take the rest of my clothes off." She explained, already reaching behind her back to unclasp her bra.

"Oh." He said, relief washing over him as he watched her breasts spill free from the black lace confines of her bra. She tossed the garment to the floor and leaned back on her elbows, gazing up at him expectantly.

"You wanna give me a hand?" She asked, amused by his reaction. It wasn't as though he hadn't already seen her naked before, but he was staring at her as if she were the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

"Yeah, okay." Michael said distractedly, still gazing at her breasts as he moved to unzip her skirt. He had her naked in record time, tossing her skirt and panties over his shoulder before sitting back on his knees to admire his handy work.

"God, you're gorgeous." He sighed, reaching out to stroke the soft skin of her thighs. Lauren smiled up at him in gratitude.

"Are you going to tell me that _every time_ you see me naked?" She teased him playfully.

"Mmmhmm," He confirmed, slowly crawling up her body until they were face to face once more. "So you'd better get used to it."

"I could," She said sincerely, her voice growing serious as she was once again reminded that their time together here was going to be short lived. "I really could. But we both know that…"

"Shhhh," He stopped her, reaching out to gently stroke her cheek as he gazed at her intently. "No reality tonight, okay? Just us." He said pleadingly. He wanted tonight to be perfect. Just in case it was their last.

"Just us." She agreed softly, offering him a reassuring smile before pulling him down for another kiss. She moaned against his lips and arched her back as she felt him cup her breast in his hand, massaging it roughly until he felt her nipple harden underneath his touch. His mouth left hers and began trailing opened mouth kisses down her neck while his hand left her breasts and traveled lower, stopping to tickle her ribs before moving lower to the coppery curls at the apex of her thighs. She moaned softly and parted her legs, encouraging him to touch her where she needed him the most.

"You're so wet." He said in amazement as he slipped his finger inside her.

"That's what you do to me," Lauren said seductively, reaching down to take him in her hand, feeling him twitch as she closed her fingers around his hard length. "Make love to me, Michael."

"I thought that's what I was doing?" He teased, bending his head capture her nipple between his lips. She moaned loudly, running her hand through his hair and tugging on it gently to get his attention.

"No more." She whined, grabbing hold of his ass and pulling him down to lay on top of her. "I want you inside me." She said pleadingly, spreading her legs even wider as she moved to guide his penis towards her entrance.

"Lauren, wait! I…" Michael started to say in a panic, pulling back slightly.

"What?" She asked impatiently. "I'm on the pill if that's what you're worried about."

"No, it's not that. Though that is definitely good to know." He added teasingly.

"Well, what is it then?" Lauren asked, her insecurities coming to the forefront yet again. "Do you not want to…"

"Oh, trust me, I want to." He assured her, reaching out to stroke the hair away from her face. " I've never wanted anything this badly in my entire life." He said sincerely. "It's just that I'm…I've never actually done this before." He admitted, trying to hide his embarrassment. She looked at him in confusion, not sure of what he meant. And then it hit her.

"You're a virgin?!" Lauren said in astonishment. "Are you sure? Well, of course you're sure. But, I mean…last night. You were amazing last night! That couldn't have been your first time."

"Well I've done other things before, yeah." He explained timidly. "I just never got around to the main course." He said, laughing nervously to try and ease the tension. Lauren nodded slowly and Michael was surprised to see that she was on the verge of tears.

"What's wrong?" He asked in concern. "Why are you crying?"

"I just wish…" She started to explain, stopping to compose herself as the tears started spilling down her face. "I just wish I had waited." She admitted softly, shaking her head in regret. "I mean everyone is always preaching how you should wait until it feels right, until you find 'the one'. But I just never thought I would find him." She reasoned, looking up at Michael in adoration. "Until now."

"Lauren." He sighed, gathering her up in his arms as she began sobbing uncontrollably. "Shhhh, baby. It's okay, it doesn't matter." He said softly, running his hands up and down her back in a comforting gesture. He pulled back slightly, just enough so that he could look into her eyes. "None of that matters anymore, it's in the past." She sniffled, glancing up at him skeptically. "Tonight is about new beginnings. For both of us."

"Okay," Lauren choked out, trying to pull herself together. "You're right."

"Of course I'm right. I'm always right." He said jokingly, trying to cheer her up. She laughed, wiping away the last of her tears.

"What am I gonna do with you?" She said, smiling up at him affectionately.

"I can think of a thing or two." He leered at her suggestively.

"Are you sure you want your first time to be with me?" She teased, but he could hear the lingering insecurity in her voice.

"Yes, I want my first time to be with you. "He assured her sincerely, bending to place a gentle kiss on her forehead. "And my second time," He kissed her tear stained cheeks. "My third time. And every time after that."

"Well then, we'd better hurry up and get started." Lauren said, smiling up at him in contentment.

"Sounds good to me." He agreed, grinning like a fool as she pulled him down for another earth shattering kiss. He maneuvered them so that she was laying flat on her back with him on top of her, supporting his weight on his hands as he continued to devour her lips. Eager to get things moving along, Lauren wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled him closer.

"Please, Michael." She whimpered, tearing her mouth away from his. He looked down at her flushed face, so beautiful in the light of the moon. Taking a deep breath to try and calm his nerves, Michael reached down and slowly guided himself inside her.

"Oh God," He groaned once he was completely sheathed inside her tight entrance.

"Yes." Lauren moaned in pleasure as she felt her walls stretch to accommodate him.

"Is it supposed to feel this good?" He asked, gazing down at her in amazement.

"I dunno," She sighed contentedly. "It never has before."

Michael stayed poised above her, glancing down in wonder to where their bodies were joined. He'd never seen anything more beautiful.

"More, Michael." She said pleadingly, running her nails down his back , encouraging him to move.

"Just gimmie a sec." He said through gritted teeth, trying to get himself under control. He was already dangerously close to the edge. Taking a deep breath, he withdrew from her almost completely before plunging back in. Lauren moaned loudly in approval, lifting her hips up to meet his thrust for thrust.

"Mmm, you're so good, Michael." Lauren purred, reaching up behind her to hold onto the headboard for support as his movements become more erratic.

"Are you close?" He managed to choke out. He could feel the pleasure building in the pit of his stomach and he knew he wasn't going to be able to last much longer.

"So close." She gasped out, grinding her pelvis against him in earnest. He picked up the speed and intensity of his thrusts, slamming into her again and again until he finally felt her clench around him and she cried out in release.

"Oh God, I love you!" She screamed, her legs quivering as she was overcome by force of her orgasm and seeing the look of pleasure on her face was more than enough to push him over the edge.

"Lauren." He groaned, waves of pleasure racking his body as he released himself inside her. He collapsed on top of her and she welcomed the weight, holding him close as they both tried to get their breathing back under control.

"Wow." Lauren sighed, reaching up to run her fingers through his damp hair.

"Yeah." Michael agreed, rolling over so that he was facing her. She stretched languidly, completely sated.

"Not bad for your first time." She teased.

"Just 'not bad', huh?" He questioned her casually, fishing for compliments.

"Okay, okay. You were pretty damn good." She admitted sincerely. "The best even."

"Now that's a title I can definitely live with; 'the best lay Lauren Fenmore ever had'." He said jokingly and she burst into a fit of giggles.

"I should get that put on a shirt for you." She suggested.

"I'd wear it everyday." He declared proudly, reaching out to pull her into his embrace. He wrapped his arm around her waist possessively and nuzzled his face in her hair.

"Forever?" She asked softly, stifling a yawn as she snuggled further into his embrace, already half asleep.

"Forever." He promised her sincerely, running his hand up and down her back soothingly. "And Lauren," He whispered, taking a deep breath to help him work up enough courage to say what he was about to say. "I love you too." He declared, never having said those words to another human being before in his entire life. He eagerly waited for her response, but he didn't get one. She was already fast asleep. Oh well, Michael thought to himself as he smiled down at her lovingly and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. He'd tell her tomorrow. And with that, he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

They awoke bright and early the next morning, curled up in each other's arms as the sun's bright rays shone through the open bedroom windows.

"Good morning, beautiful." Michael said softly, his voice rough from sleep.

"Good morning yourself." Lauren purred, smiling up at him in contentment. "I love waking up in your arms." She declared, nuzzling her face into his neck before placing a kiss on his shoulder. "There's nothing better."

"_Nothing_?" He teased her suggestively.

"Well, except that." She agreed, pulling back slightly so that the_y _could look into each other's eyes.

"What time did Mrs. Everett say she was bringing Kevin by?" Michael asked, his hand already slipping underneath the sheet to cup her breast.

"She didn't." Lauren answered distractedly, arching her back against his touch.

"Well then, I'd better get to work." He said mischievously, and with that he pounced on top of her, tickling her ribs as he nibbled on her neck.

"Michael! Cut it out!" Lauren squealed in delight, trying to swat his hands away.

"Get off of her!" A loud voiced boomed from the doorway.

"Daddy!" Lauren shrieked, covering herself up with the sheet as Michael leapt off of her and stared at the older man in terror. A very angry Neil Fenmore stood at the entrance to the bedroom, two police officers stood behind him.

"Get dressed, Lauren." He demanded, still glaring at Michael.

"But daddy…" She started to explain.

"I SAID GET DRESSED!" He shouted, leaving no room for argument. "We'll be waiting in the living room." He declared before he and the officers turned to leave. The two frightened teens glanced at each other in fear, wondering exactly how much trouble they'd gotten themselves into.


	11. Chapter Ten

-1Chapter Ten:

They dressed silently, both of them too caught up in their own thoughts to say a word. Lauren had never seen her father so angry before. She regretted not calling him sooner to let him know where she was, but she had foolishly thought there would be more time. Now there was no telling what her father would do punish her. And Michael.

"Ready?" Michael asked quietly, eyes focused on the floor as he stood by the bedroom door and waited for her to finish getting dressed.

"Yeah." Lauren replied, her voice hoarse with unshed tears. She got up from the bed and walked over to him, reaching out to take his hand in hers. He glanced up at her wearily, looking as though he was headed to the gas chamber. "Come on then. Let's get his over with." She said resolutely, offering him a reassuring smile as they walked out of the bedroom hand in hand.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Her father was standing silently in the middle of the living room, his back to them as he focused instead on the fireplace before him. Lauren glanced around the room nervously and saw that the two police officers from earlier were now stationed on either side of the front door. She had a really bad feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"Daddy. Please, just let me explain…" Lauren pleaded.

"What were you thinking?" Neil interrupted her, finally turning around to face the two teens. "Running off with this boy without so much as a word."

"I know. I should have called you." Lauren admitted regretfully.

"Yes, you most certainly should have." He admonished her, shaking his head in disappointment. "Do you have any idea how worried I was about you?"

"I'm sorry." She apologized sincerely.

"Well, I suppose you aren't entirely to blame." Neil reasoned, glaring angrily at Michael. "I can only imagine the kind of lies he concocted to get you here."

"It's not like that, daddy. It was my idea to come to New Orleans." Lauren explained.

"Do you honestly expect me to believe that he played no part in orchestrating this little Bonnie and Clyde adventure?" Her father said incredulously. "You have done some irresponsible things in the past, Lauren. But never anything this extreme."

"If you knew the whole story, you'd understand why I did what I did." She said pleadingly, trying to appeal to her father's understanding nature.

"Oh, I've heard enough of the story to know that I don't want you anywhere near this creep." Neil proclaimed, glancing at Michael in disgust. He shifted uncomfortably under the older man's scrutinizing gaze.

"What do you mean?" Lauren asked, curious to know where he was getting his information from. "And how did you know where to find us?"

"I had your credit cards traced and it was brought to my attention that you had purchased three one-way tickets to New Orleans." He revealed. "It didn't take long for me to connect the dots and realize that _he_ had something to do with this."

"Look, Sir. It was never my intention to…" Michael finally spoke for the first time since entering the tension filled room.

"After what I just walked in on, I think it's pretty clear what your intentions were." Neil spat out in contempt, effectively shutting him up. "Officers," He summoned the two men standing by the door. "I want this boy arrested for the kidnapping of my daughter."

"What?!" Lauren shrieked incredulously, moving to stand between Michael and the two police officers as they prepared to carry out her father's orders. "You can't do this! I'm eighteen years old and he didn't force me to go anywhere that I didn't want to go." Lauren said defensively. Neil sighed in frustration, realizing that she was right.

"Very well then." He conceded. "Officers, you know what to do." Neil instructed. The two men moved passed Lauren and began patting Michael down as he stood completely still, staring at Lauren in bewilderment.

"Michael Baldwin, you are under arrest for the kidnapping of Kevin Fisher." One of the police officers declared as he pulled Michael's hands behind his back and roughly slapped a pair of handcuffs around his wrists. "You have the right the remain silent. Anything you say can and will be…"

"Daddy, please! You can't do this!" Lauren pleaded, glancing between Michael and her father in a state of panic.

"I'm not doing anything." Neil declared calmly. "Gloria and Tom Fisher are the ones pressing charges, not me."

"Then you have to do something to help him!" Lauren desperately begged her father to intervene. " Michael didn't kidnap his brother! If you knew what Tom Fisher did to that poor little boy, you'd realize that…"

"I'm sorry, Lauren. My hands are tied." Neil interrupted her plea. " It's not my responsibility to help this young man avoid paying the consequences of his actions."

"Fine." Lauren said stubbornly, glaring at her father in defiance. "Then they'll have to arrest me too."

"The Fishers don't want to press charges against you, Ms. Fenmore." One of the police officers informed her.

"I don't care what the Fishers want!" She screamed in frustration.

"Lauren, it's okay." Michael said quietly, trying to calm her down.

"No. It's not okay, Michael. They can't do this to you!" She insisted angrily.

"I don't want you getting dragged into this." He pleaded.

"You should listen to him, Lauren. It's the first intelligent thing he's said all day." Neil interrupted snidely. Lauren shook her head in confusion, not understanding her father's attitude towards Michael.

"Daddy, why are you acting like this?" Lauren asked in frustration. "You don't even know him!"

"And obviously neither do you." Neil declared ominously.

"And what is that supposed to mean?" Lauren asked, glaring at her father in disillusionment.

"Your _boyfriend _called me last night," Neil started to explain. "Apparently he had his friend Paul Williams do a little background check on Mr. Baldwin here. Turns out he has quite the colorful past."

"Yeah well, so do I." Lauren said dismissively. Whatever her father would like to believe, she was no angel.

"Well as far as I know, none of your past indiscretions ever involved attempted rape." Neil declared, glancing at Michael in disgust. Lauren rolled her eyes at her father's revelation.

"I already know about Amber. It was all a big misunderstanding." Lauren explained.

"Amber?" Her father said in confusion. "So there are more victims. You really are a piece of work, kid." Neil said, glaring at Michael in disbelief.

"What are you talking about?" Lauren asked impatiently.

"I'm talking about Isabella Brana, the young girl whom Mr. Baldwin here tried to rape last summer." Her father proclaimed matter-of-factly.

"What?" Lauren asked incredulously. She shook her head in denial. "I don't believe you."

"It's all right here in the police report." Neil declared, reaching down to pick up a folder that was lying on the coffee table. He opened the file and began reading it out loud. _"On the night of August 20th, 1982, the police were called to an apartment in the south end of Detroit. They were responding to a 911 call made by the victim, one Isabella Brana. When they arrived at the scene, 17 year old Miss Brana was visibly shaken and there were signs of a struggle.. Her clothes were ripped and her arms and face covered in scratches and bruises. She claimed that Michael Baldwin, a boy she had met while interning at a local GM Plant, had attempted to rape her. 18 year old Baldwin was arrested on two counts of assault and attempted rape." _Neil closed the file and glanced up at his daughter. _"The charges were later dropped." _

The room grew eerily quiet as Lauren absorbed the information. Finally, wiping away at the tears that were threatening to spill down her face, she spoke.

"Well,…well there you go!" Lauren reasoned, trying not to show how much the report had affected her. "Obviously she was lying and that's why she dropped the charges." She declared, nodding her head resolutely. "She was lying." Lauren repeated, turning to look at Michael who had remained silent throughout her father's revelation. "She was lying, right Michael? Just like Amber. She was lying."

"Lauren." He said softly, his eyes pleading with her to understand.

"Tell me she was lying, Michael." Lauren demanded, the tears she had been keeping at bay were now streaming down her cheeks, but she made no move to wipe them away. "Tell me!" She screamed.

He didn't answer her. Slowly closing his eyes because he couldn't bare to see the look of pain and betrayal on her face any longer, Michael bowed his head in shame.

"Get him out of here." Neil ordered gruffly, and the police officers started dragging Michael towards the front door. Lauren watched as they lead him away, sobbing uncontrollably. Neil moved to comfort her, gathering her up in a fierce embrace as she continued to sob.

"Shhhh. It's okay, baby girl. Everything's gonna be okay." He assured her, stroking her back comfortingly. When the police officers opened the front door, they were surprised to find an elderly woman and a young boy standing on the veranda.

"Dear Lord, what the devil is going on here?" Mrs. Everett asked in concern as she took in the scene before her. Michael was being lead out of the cottage in handcuffs and Lauren was in her father's arms, crying her eyes out.

"Mrs. Everett?" Neil said curiously, not having seen the older woman in years. Lauren turned to look at her and Mrs. Everett's heart broke when she saw the pain in the young girl's eyes.

"Mikey? Are you in trouble?" Kevin asked, standing behind the older woman as he stared up at his big brother in concern. Michael nodded, not trusting his voice enough to speak.

"Are you Kevin Fisher?" One of the officers asked the little boy.

"Yes." He responded timidly.

"Well then, you need to come with us. Your parents are very worried about you." The officer declared, reaching out to take Kevin's hand. The little boy bolted inside the cottage, running up to Lauren and hugging her waist.

"Lauren!" He cried out, looking up at her with fear in his eyes. "Please don't let them send us back, please!" He pleaded. She moved away from her father and picked the little boy up in her arms, holding him close.

"Daddy, please. You have to do something, he can't go back to that place." Lauren sniffled, begging her father to help. "His father beats him, daddy. He locks him in a closet and _beats _him. No one deserves to live like that. Isn't there something you can do?"

Neil's heart melted as he watched his daughter comfort the scared little boy. No matter what his feelings were towards Kevin's older brother, if what Lauren said was true, Neil knew he had to at least try and intervene.

"Officers, would it be possible for the boy to stay with us? At least until you have all the legal matters regarding Baldwin's extradition sorted out?" Neil inquired hopefully.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Fenmore. We've been ordered to return the child back to his parents as soon as possible." The officer declared. Neil sighed in frustration.

"Well, can you at least have these Fishers checked out? If there are any instances of child abuse going on in that home, I want to know about it." Neil ordered.

"Yes, sir. I'll get in touch with the police department in Detroit and have them send child services over to the residence so that they can conduct an investigate." The officer promised. "Now, I'm afraid we have to get going." He said regretfully, his partner already leading Michael down the steps towards the waiting squad car. The remaining officer turned his attention to the little boy. "Come on, son. It's time to go."

"Lauren, I don't want to leave." Kevin pleaded with her as she reluctantly put him down. "Can't Mikey and I stay here with you? The three of us can be a family! And Mrs. Everett too." He exclaimed, pointing back at the elderly woman. She was standing by the front door, brought to tears by the scene in front of her. Lauren reached down to stroke the little boy's hair lovingly.

"I wish we could, but it just doesn't work that way." Lauren said regretfully. She crouched down until her and Kevin were face to face. "I'm gonna miss you." She choked out, tears streaming down her face that matched his own. She reached out to wipe them away. "You be strong, okay? And if you ever need me for anything, anything at all, you just give me a call. Alright?" Kevin nodded, biting his lower lip to stop from crying even harder. Lauren wrapped him in her arms, hugging him fiercely.

"I love you, buddy." She whispered.

"I love you too, Laur." He replied, hiccupping as he continued to sob quietly. The officer came up to them and tapped the little boy on the shoulder.

"Sorry to interrupt, but we really need to get going now." He informed them, his own eyes having grown a little misty. Lauren reluctantly let Kevin go and offered him a reassuring smile as the officer took him by the hand and lead him to the door. He stopped in front of Mrs. Everett to give her a quick hug before the officer escorted him out of the cottage.

Lauren followed them, standing on the curb and watching helplessly as Kevin was put in the back of the squad car. Lauren peered through the car window and saw that Michael was looking back at her, his eyes filled with regret. She returned his gaze, unable to look away. The spell was broken by the sound of the car's engine being turned on before they peeled away from the curb and sped off down the street. Lauren watched as the car disappeared into the early morning sunlight, tears still falling down her face as she wondered if she would ever see them again.

Neil and Mrs. Everett stood in the doorway, watching as Lauren sat down on the curb and buried her face in her hands as she continued to sob.

"I hate what this is doing to her and I feel terrible for that poor little boy, but I'm glad to have Michael out of her life." Neil admitted, turning to look at the older woman beside him.. "Hopefully after Lauren gets over this little fling, her life can get back to normal."

"It wasn't just a fling, Neil." Mrs. Everett said knowingly. "Those two kids love each other somethin' awful. And I doubt if there's a thing on God's green earth that'll be able to keep them apart for long."


	12. Chapter Eleven

-1Chapter Eleven:

"Here we are," Neil declared pleasantly as he set Lauren's suitcases down on the polished marble floor. "Home sweet home."

"Yeah." Lauren said distractedly, lost in her own thoughts. She stood in the middle of the large foyer, feeling awkward and out of place.

"Are you hungry? I can get Lucretia to fix you up something to eat." Her father suggested, sensing Lauren's discomfort and wishing there was something he could do to ease her pain.

"No, thanks. I'm not hungry." She replied dismissively. Reaching down to pick up her carryon bag, she started heading towards the winding staircase. "I'm gonna go lay down for a bit."

"Very well. You need your rest." Neil agreed, watching as his daughter walked up the stairs towards her bedroom. "And Lauren," He called out after her. She stopped walking and turned to meet his gaze. "I'm glad you're home."

"Me too." She lied, offering him a small smile before walking into her room and closing the door behind her.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

_Two weeks later…_

"And then Traci was all like 'Yeah, whatever. He's totally not that into you.' So then I was like 'Yeah, well that's not what he said last night!' I mean, can you believe she actually had the nerve to say that?! Lauren?…Lauren! Are you even listening to me?" Taylor asked in frustration, sensing that her friend was miles away. Getting no response, she slapped her hand against the surface of the water, effectively splashing Lauren in the face.

"Hey! What the hell, Taylor!" Lauren yelled, wiping the water out of her eyes. Her father was out of town on a business trip and had arranged for her friend Taylor to come over and keep her company while he was gone. The two teens were sunbathing out in the backyard, leisurely floating about in the pool as they reclined on a pair of air mattresses.

"Here I am, spilling my guts out to you and you're not even paying attention!" Taylor complained, adjusting her sunglasses as she settled herself more comfortably on the mattress. "I would have stayed in LA if I knew you were going to be such a buzz kill all weekend."

"Sorry," Lauren apologized. "I've just got a lot on my mind."

"Well snap out of it already!" Taylor exclaimed, taking a sip of her Piña Colada. "You need to loosen up, girl. You haven't been yourself in weeks."

"Look, I don't need you telling me how to act." Lauren said defensively.

"Whoa, chill out! Seriously, what the hell is your problem lately?" Taylor asked, frustrated by her friend's change in behavior. "Does this have something to do with Danny?"

"Why would you even ask me that?" Lauren snapped.

"Well, word on the street is that you two had a little falling out." Taylor said coyly.

"And?" Lauren pressed her for more information, curious to know what other personal details about her love life were being talked about behind her back.

"That's all I've heard." Taylor informed her truthfully. "Why? Are there more juicy details I should know about?"

"This is my life, Taylor. Not some trashy soap opera." Lauren said, rolling her eyes at her friend's constant need for gossip.

"So…is it true then? Have you two split up?" The brunette asked curiously, not carrying if she sounded like a busy body.

"If you must know," Lauren sighed impatiently. "Yes, we have."

"Bummer," Taylor said sympathetically. "But isn't your high school prom coming up?" She inquired and Lauren looked up at her in surprise. She had completely forgotten.

"Yeah, I don't think I'm gonna go." Lauren said casually. Taylor almost choked on her drink.

"What?!" She spat out incredulously. "Please tell me that was some kind of sick joke."

"It's not that big of a deal…" Lauren reasoned.

"Not that big of a deal?! This is your senior prom, Lauren. The most important night of your life! You have to go." Taylor exclaimed, sitting up on the mattress as she floated closer to her friend.

"It's just not my scene." Lauren explained.

"Since when?" Taylor asked disbelievingly.

"Since I grew up and realized that there's more to life than designer dresses and bad perms." Lauren said defensively.

"I know what this is all about," Taylor said knowingly. "You're just upset because you don't have a date anymore." She declared and Lauren rolled her eyes at her friend's stupidity. "But don't worry, I think I can help you out with that…"

"What do you mean, Taylor?" Lauren asked suspiciously. "What have you done?" As if on cue, the sound of music started to fill the luxurious backyard. Lauren bolted upright, almost falling into the pool as she tried to see where the music was coming from. She looked up in horror as Danny came waltzing into her backyard carrying a case of beer. Paul Williams was beside him, holding a boom box on his shoulder.

"Hello, ladies." Danny leered, grinning at Lauren as he placed the case of beer down on the patio. He took his shirt off and carelessly flung it over his shoulder. "IT'S PARTY TIME!" He yelled obnoxiously as he ran towards the pool and jumped in, creating a mini title wave that drenched Lauren from head to toe.

"Danny!" She shrieked when he finally came up for air. "What the hell do you think you're doing here?"

"Taylor invited me." Danny explained, motioning to the brunette. "She said you were finally ready to kiss and make up."

"That's funny. I didn't realize hell had frozen over." Lauren spat out in contempt, glaring angrily at Taylor who shrugged in response. Lauren turned her attention back to her ex boyfriend. "I want you out of here, Danny. Now!"

"Is that any way to speak to the guy who saved you from a rapist?" He asked indignantly, wading through the water beside her mattress.

"What?" Taylor gasped in shock. "Lauren, what is he talking about?"

"Shut up, Danny." Lauren warned.

"Well that's what he is, isn't he?" Danny asked snidely.

"I said, shut up!" She snarled in response, not wanting to talk about Michael. Especially not with him.

"Oh, I'm sorry. He's an 'attempted rapist.' " Danny corrected himself sarcastically. "Probably cuz he couldn't get it up."

Lauren slapped him. Hard.

"Get out." She hissed, hopping off the air mattress and slipping into the pool. She dove under the water and swam over to the small latter. Quickly climbing out of the pool, she stood on the patio and around turned to face Danny and Taylor.

"I want you all to leave." Lauren ordered, wrapping herself in a beach towel. "Now." And with that, she turned around and headed back inside the house.

"Hello, Lauren!" Paul said eagerly as she walked passed him.

"Shut up, Paul." Was her response before slamming the patio door behind her.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Lauren stepped out of the shower, satisfied that all of the chlorine had been washed out of her hair. Wrapping herself in a towel, she walked out of the washroom and into her bedroom, only to come face to face with her ex.

"What are you doing in here?" Lauren asked wearily. "I thought I told you to leave."

"I'm not going anywhere until we get a few things sorted out." Danny declared, walking across the room and coming to stand in front of her.

"There's nothing to sort out, Danny." She declared impatiently. "You and I are finished."

"You still think about him, don't you?" He sneered, moving closer to her. "The guy tried to rape someone and you still want to be with him."

"I am _not _going to talk about this with you." Lauren said sharply, walking past him to get to the door. She threw it open and crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Now, get out."

Danny grinned conspiratorially and started walking towards her, the predatory look in his eyes sent a chill down her spine. She'd never see him act like this before. Lauren took a step back, but he kept on advancing.

"Maybe that's what you like, huh? Bad boys." Danny leered at her lasciviously. He pushed her up against the wall and roughly grabbed her by throat. "I can be bad, Lauren. Is that what you want?"

"Let go of me!" She screamed, frantically trying to push him off of her, but he was too strong.

"What's the matter, babe? I thought you liked it rough." He sneered. Lauren felt his hand slip between her thighs, trying to pull them apart. When she tried to move away from his touch, he started squeezing her neck more forcefully.

"Danny, you're hurting me." She choked out, tears streaming down her face.

"Don't act like you don't want this." He whispered in her ear, running his tongue along the lobe. Lauren turned her face away in disgust. And that's when she saw it. Her old baseball bat was leaning up against the wall, about a foot away. She started formulating a plan in her head.

"I do," Lauren gasped, turning her head to meet his gaze. "I do want it." She lied and hoped he wouldn't be able to tell. Danny raised his eyebrow in surprise, his hold on her neck loosening up a bit.

"See? I knew you'd come around eventually." He grinned, his hand releasing her throat as he began slowly tracing his finger along her collar bone. He glanced down at her chest as he started to unwrap her towel. Taking advantage of his momentary distraction, she lifted her right leg up with lightening quick speed and kneed him square in the crotch. He cried out and fell to the floor, doubled over in pain. Lauren frantically reached over and grabbed the metal bat, holding it poised above his head, ready to strike.

"Get up!" She screamed, her hands shaking as she glared down at him. He was still in too much pain to move, but Lauren didn't care. "I said get up!"

"I'm trying!" He managed to choke out as he carefully eased himself up off the floor. He staggered over to the door and she followed him, still holding the bat up defensively.

"Get the hell out of my house, Danny!" Lauren ordered, motioning for him to leave her room. He complied, still limping in pain as he made his way down the stairs. She stood at the top of the staircase, watching as he approached the front door. Opening it slowly, he turned around and glared up at her.

"You're gonna regret this." He threatened, still holding onto his crotch in excruciating pain. "This isn't over, Lauren. Not by a long shot."

"If you ever come near me again, I'll have you thrown in jail so fast it'll make your head spin." She declared, trying to muster up enough bravado to hide how shaken up she really was. "Now, get _out_!"

He shot her a contemptuous look before turning and walking out the door. She waited until she heard his car pull out of the driveway and speed off down the street before running down the stairs to lock the front door. Finally letting go of the baseball bat, she threw on the deadbolt and frantically punched in the code for the alarm system to be activated. Satisfied that Danny wouldn't be getting back into the house anytime soon, she ran back up the stairs and locked herself in her bedroom.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

She was curled up in the fetal position on the middle of her bed, clutching a pillow to her chest as she sobbed uncontrollably. After returning to her room, Lauren had taken another long shower, trying to wash away the memory of what just had happened. Changing into her pajamas, she checked to make sure the door to her room was still locked before crawling into bed. And finally, after weeks of holding everything in, she allowed herself to cry.

How could she have been so wrong about him? Never in her wildest dreams would she have thought he was capable of being so violent, so hurtful. What kind of a man would attack a woman the way he had? To try and force himself on someone like that was disgusting and wrong and Lauren realized that she should hate him for what he had done. But she didn't. She couldn't. And when Danny had her pinned up against the wall, his hand closed around her throat as she struggled to breathe…all she could think about was Michael.

Despite everything she now knew about him, despite everything her father had told her, she still loved him. She still thought about him every second of everyday, no matter how hard she tried not to. As irrational as it would have been, she had almost cried out for him during the attack. As if somehow he could have come and saved her from Danny. Lauren let out a bitter laugh at the thought, reaching up to wipe away the tears streaming down her face. Michael wasn't some kind of knight in shining armor. According to the police report Paul had found, he was the kind of guy girls needed to be rescued _from_, not by.

Lauren sat up in bed and ran a hand through her hair in frustration. Why did she keep doing this to herself? Michael was a bad guy, end of story. It didn't matter that his eyes seemed to sparkle every time he saw her. It didn't matter that he was so loving and gentle with her that first night in New Orleans. It didn't matter that she had never felt safer or more cherished than she had when she was in his arms. None of that mattered anymore because in the blink of an eye, the man of her dreams had turned into a nightmare.

A part of her wished they'd never met. Things would be so much easier that way.

Lauren jumped when a shrill ring pierced through the quiet room. She glanced at the phone sitting atop her bedside table, debating whether or not to answer it. She wasn't in the mood to talk to anybody, and there was always the possibility that it was Danny calling. She decided to let it ring.

Sighing in relief when the room finally became silent once more, she put her pillow down and started to get out of bed. And then the phone started ringing again. Sighing in frustration, Lauren reached over and picked up the receiver.

"What?" She snapped, sitting back down on the edge of the mattress. She could hear someone breathing on the other end of the line, but they didn't say anything. She sighed in annoyance. "Look, if this is some kind of prank call, I'm not in the mood!"

"Lauren?" A small, familiar voice asked timidly. Lauren gasped when she realized who it was.

"Kevin?" She said in surprise. "Kevin, is that you?"

"Yeah." He replied softly, his voice hitched and Lauren could tell he had been crying.

"Sweetie, what's wrong? Did something happen?" She asked in concern.

"I'm scared, Lauren." He whispered. "Daddy's really, really angry."

"Did he hurt you?" Lauren asked quietly. A lump formed in her throat when he didn't answer. "Is he there right now?"

"No," He replied. "He went out after they left."

"Who's 'they', Kevin?" She asked in confusion.

"The nice people," He explained. "The ones they sent to check on me."

"Oh," Lauren sighed in realization. "From Child Services, right?"

"Yeah," Kevin confirmed. "That's why daddy's so angry. He didn't like the questions they were asking. And he got really mad when I told them that I'd rather live with you and Mikey."

"Is your brother there?" She asked hopefully. Maybe Michael could get Kevin out of the apartment before Tom got home.

"No," Kevin said sadly. "He's still in jail."

"What?" Lauren asked in shock. "Your mother didn't pay his bail?"

"Daddy wouldn't let her." The little boy revealed and she could hear the pain in his voice. He missed his big brother. Lauren felt her eyes well up with tears. She couldn't believe Michael had been sitting in a jail cell all this time. This was all her fault, she realized. If it wasn't for her stupid idea to go to New Orleans, Michael would be home right now and Kevin wouldn't have to face that monster alone. She had to do something to fix this.

"Do you know if your dad will be home tomorrow during the day?" She asked curiously, already formulating a plan.

"I don't think so," Kevin said. "He usually goes to the races on Mondays."

"Okay, good. That's perfect." Lauren said, sighing in relief.

"Why? What are you going to do?" He asked curiously.

"That's for me to know and you to find out." Lauren said cheerfully, not wanting to get his hopes up just in case she couldn't pull this off. "Now, I want you to promise me that you'll try and stay out of your dad's way okay? Just try and stay in your room as much as possible."

"Okay, I will." Kevin promised.

"Good. Okay, buddy. I've gotta go now, but I'll talk to you again soon, okay?"

"Yeah, okay." He said softly, and Lauren could tell he didn't want her to hang up just yet.

"Hey, remember that book that I bought you in New Orleans?" She said abruptly.

"Louisiana Moon?" Kevin asked, obviously confused by the change in subject.

"Yeah, that's the one." Lauren confirmed. "Have you read it yet?"

"Only half." He admitted.

"Okay, then. After I hang up the phone, I want you to go in your room and finish reading it so that you can tell me all about what happens the next time we talk, alright?" She requested pleasantly. Not only would reading the book help keep him quiet and in his room for most of the night, it would help to reassure him that he _would _indeed be talking to her again.

"Yeah, okay. I can do that." He agreed softly.

"Good," Lauren smiled through her tears. "Now I'm sorry, sweetie, but I really have to get going now."

"Okay," Kevin said sadly. "Bye, Laur."

"Bye, Kev." She replied before reluctantly hanging up the phone. Taking a deep breath, she picked it up again and dialed a familiar number.

"Hi, Nancy. It's Lauren Fenmore." She declared casually. "I need you to book me on the next available flight leaving tonight to Detroit, Michigan. And I'll be paying in cash."


	13. Chapter Twelve

-1**Chapter Twelve:**

"I'm sorry, Miss. Fenmore. That information is strictly confidential." The woman behind the desk informed her apologetically. After checking into her hotel room late last night, Lauren had dragged herself out of bed at the crack of dawn and made her way downtown to the local Children's Aid department. She was hoping to find out if the investigation into the Fishers had turned up anything significant enough that would warrant having Kevin removed from the home immediately. So far it was turning out to be a dead end.

"Please," Lauren pleaded with the investigator. "All I want to know is whether or not you found out anything that will help?"

"I understand that you're concerned about the child's welfare, but I'm really not at liberty to say." The woman said dismissively, shifting some papers around on her cluttered desk. "Now, if you'll excuse me. I need to get back to work."

Frustrated, Lauren stood up and slammed her hands down on the desk. The woman looked up at her, startled by the sudden outburst.

"Maybe you don't understand the seriousness of this situation," Lauren sneered. Angry tears started to blur her vision and she blinked them away. "This little boy is being beatenHis father locks him in a closet and _beats _him.Why are you not doing anything to stop this?!"

"Miss, please. You need to calm down." The woman instructed her cautiously. Lauren took a deep breath and sat back down, looking up at the woman expectantly. She sighed in frustration. "Look, all I can tell you is that the case is still undergoing investigation."

"What is there to investigate? I just told you what's going on over there!" Lauren said impatiently.

"We can't remove a child from his home based solely on third party accusations, it would never hold up in court." She explained. "And did you ever actually see Mr. Fisher strike the child?"

She was so tempted to lie, to look this woman straight in the eye and describe to her all of the torment and abuse she _knew_ was going on in that home. But she didn't want to do or say anything that would call the case into question later on. She would never be able to forgive herself if Kevin lost his chance at freedom because of her lies. So reluctantly, she decided to tell the truth.

"No. No, I did not." Lauren admitted.

"Well, then. I really am sorry, but I don't see how you can be of any help to our investigation."

"But I was _there_," Lauren said pleadingly, refusing to give up just yet. "I may not have seen that bastard hit Kevin with my own two eyes, but I know he did. The sounds I heard coming from the other room, the vicious things that he said…"

"I'm sorry, miss. But that's just not good enough." The investigator informed her regretfully.

"Michael!" Lauren said abruptly, remembering the bruises and scars that had covered her ex-lover's body courtesy of his stepfather. "Kevin's older brother, Michael Baldwin. I saw Tom Fisher push him around, and he had bruises and cigarette burns on his body from previous run ins with his stepfather."

"When did this occur?" The woman asked hopefully.

"A few weeks ago," Lauren replied. "I'm sure some of the scars are still visible if you want to go see for yourself."

"Unfortunately, since he was over the age of eighteen at the time this alleged attack occurred, it's not a matter for Children's Services." She explained disappointedly. "As an adult, he would need to file assault charges against Mr. Fisher himself."

"So you can beat your children, just as long as they're over eighteen when you do it?" Lauren said in disgust, frustrated by how flawed the system was. "Well, _I_ may not have witnessed Tom Fisher hit Kevin, but Michael sure as hell did. Have you interviewed him yet? I'm sure he can tell you all about the kind of physical and emotional abuse that poor little boy has had to suffer through."

"Mr. Baldwin is in jail facing kidnapping charges, not to mention his previous run ins with the law." The woman declared rather arrogantly. She was quickly growing impatient with the conversation "He's hardly what I would call a credible witness."

"You don't give a damn about Kevin, do you?" Lauren said accusingly. "He's just another file for you to sort." She stood up abruptly and swept all of the papers off the woman's desk in anger. "If you're not going to do anything to help him, then I guess it's up to me." Lauren said determinedly. And with that, she swung her purse over her shoulder and marched out of the building.

It was time to take matters into her own hands.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Lauren was seated in a booth at the familiar restaurant, keeping close surveillance on the apartment building across the street. She glanced down at her watch for the umpteenth time, checking to make sure she wasn't too early. It was almost three o'clock, the same time that Gloria had gotten home from work last time Lauren had been at the apartment. She remembered how anxious she and Michael had been to get to New Orleans that day, how excited and hopeful they'd been to start searching for his father. It seemed like a lifetime ago.

Peering through the dingy window, Lauren caught a glimpse of Gloria walking down the street towards the apartment building. She was wearing a cheap looking business suit that was at least two sizes too big. The briefcase she was carrying appeared tattered and worn, and the dark sunglasses she wore practically concealed her entire face. Lauren wouldn't have known it was her if it weren't for the unmistakable bleach blonde hair. Watching as she entered the apartment building, Lauren motioned to the waitress for her check. It was time to pay Mrs. Fisher a little visit.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"You've got some nerve showing up here." Gloria said incredulously when she opened her front door and found Lauren standing in the hallway.

"Hello to you too, Gloria." Lauren greeted her sarcastically. "May I come in?"

"No, you may not." She responded dismissively, moving to shut the door in her face.

"Wait!" Lauren slammed her hand up against the door to prevent it from closing. "I just want to talk."

"What could you and I possibly have to talk about?" Gloria questioned impatiently.

"Kevin." Lauren declared. The older woman looked at her questioningly. "He called me yesterday." She explained. "He sounded upset."

"Well, I'll be sure and monitor his calls more closely from now on." Gloria said defensively. It was then that Lauren noticed she was still wearing her sunglasses. Abruptly, she reached out and snatched them off her face. Gloria tried to stop her, but she wasn't quick enough. Lauren gasped when her suspicions were confirmed.

"My God, Gloria." She exclaimed as she took in the sight of the older woman's face, the black eye she was sporting in stark contrast with her pale skin. "Tom did that to you, didn't he?"

"That's none of your business." Gloria hissed, grabbing her sunglasses out of Lauren's hand and slipping them back on.

"How much longer are you gonna let this go on for, huh?" Lauren asked, shaking her head disapprovingly. "Kevin deserves better, Gloria. And so do you." She added, trying to sound compassionate. The older woman sighed in resignation, glancing down the hall to see that one of her neighbors was headed in their direction.

"You'd better come in." She declared reluctantly, holding the door open and stepping aside. Lauren entered the apartment, taking in the familiar surroundings. Everything looked the same, right down to the outdated fashion magazines on the coffee table.

"Where's Kevin?" Lauren asked curiously. Gloria locked the front door before turning around to face her.

"He's still at school." She replied casually, moving away from the door to join Lauren in the cramped living room. She took off her sunglasses and tossed them onto the table. "Looks like I'm not the only one with a few battle scars." Gloria pointed out, gesturing to Lauren's neck.

"It's nothing." She said dismissively, reaching up to cover her throat, still bruised from yesterday's attack.

"You sound like me," Gloria said empathetically. "What happened?"

"Let's just say, I had my own 'Tom' to deal with." Lauren replied vaguely. She'd come here to talk about Kevin, not her own problems.

"I find that hard to believe," Gloria said, taking a seat on the worn couch. "A girl of your wealth and stature having to deal with men like Tom Fisher." She let out a bitter laugh. "I thought this kinda thing only happened to women like me."

"Gloria," Lauren sighed, sitting down beside her on the couch. "This isn't your fault, ya know. We all have to deal with the occasional creep every now and then, it's inevitable." Lauren teased, trying to cheer her up. "But once you realize what a huge jerk the guy is, that's when you need to kick him to the curb. Just like I did with my ex-boyfriend." She explained. "And just like you need to do with Tom."

"If only it were that easy…" Gloria said wistfully.

"There's no reason why it can't be." Lauren reasoned.

"You don't understand," Gloria said in frustration. "You're just a girl, you have your whole life in front of you. You don't have a job to keep, rent to pay, children to take care of…"

"You call letting your children be beaten taking care of them?" Lauren said incredulously. Gloria glared at her in anger.

"Don't you think I would stop him if I could?!" Gloria exclaimed. "He just gets so angry…"

"That's why you need to _leave _him, Gloria." Lauren stressed. "Men like Tom Fisher, they don't change. Is this how you want to live the rest of your life?"

"I need him," Gloria explained and Lauren could see she was close to tears. "You don't know what it was like for me trying to take care of Michael on my own after his father left. I can't go through that again."

"This isn't just about you, Gloria." Lauren declared in frustration. "If you won't do it for yourself, then do it for Kevin."

"Everything I do is for my boys." She argued vehemently.

"Then why is your son Michael sitting in a jail sell right now?" Lauren accused.

"I can't do anything about that." She explained dismissively.

"And poor Kevin.," Lauren continued. "He was in tears when he called me yesterday, terrified that Tom was going to come home and beat him again."

"Stop it." Gloria pleaded, covering her ears. "I don't have to listen to this."

"No, you don't." Lauren agreed. "You also don't have to sit back and watch while Tom ruins your child's life."

"I already told you, I can't leave him." Gloria said in frustration.

"And you don't have to." Lauren explained anxiously. Gloria looked at her, confused.

"What do you mean?" She asked wearily.

"Let Kevin come and live with me." Lauren offered.

"No." Gloria said dismissively, shaking her head in disapproval.

"Come on, it makes perfect sense." Lauren explained. "I have a huge house, Kevin would be able to have his own room and we could get him into a good school." She reasoned. "And best of all, he would be far away from Tom."

"And me." Gloria said angrily.

"You could come and visit him whenever you want…"

"Forget it!" The older woman yelled, standing up from the couch abruptly. "You are not taking my son away from me!"

"If you would just stop thinking about yourself for five seconds you'd realize that this is the best solution for everyone." Lauren reasoned, looking up at her pleadingly.

"And what's in it for me?" Gloria inquired, folding her arms in front of her chest defensively.

"What do you mean?" Lauren asked, not quite following her.

"Even if I were to let my son go and live with you, these bills aren't going to pay themselves." Gloria explained.

"Oh my God," Lauren gasped when she realized what the older woman was implying. "You want me to _pay _you for your son!"

"You're a wealthy girl, Lauren." Gloria explained nonchalantly. "I would think you'd be more than willing to shell out a little dough for a good cause."

"You are the most disgusting, pathetic excuse for a mother that I have ever met!" Lauren spat out in contempt as she leapt up from the couch and raised her hand to strike Gloria across the face.

"Stop!" Someone shrieked from the hallway. Startled, Lauren froze in mid-swing. She looked passed Gloria and saw that Kevin was standing on the outskirts of the living room, his eyes wide with terror. "Please don't hit my mom."

"Kevin!" Lauren said in surprise before glancing at Gloria suspiciously. "I thought you said he was at school?"

"I lied." The older woman said casually, still glaring at Lauren in contempt.

"I didn't mean to you scare you, buddy." She apologized, brushing passed Gloria to get to the little boy. "Your mother and I were just having a little chat and…" Lauren gasped when she took in Kevin's appearance for the first time. He was still in his pajamas, a dark yellow stain covered the front of his pants from where he had obviously wet himself earlier. He had a fresh cut on his bottom lip and his right arm was in a cast. Lauren's hand flew up to cover her mouth as she felt a lump form in her throat. "Oh my God…"

"It's okay, Lauren." Kevin explained timidly, seeing how upset she was. "It doesn't hurt that bad, honest."

"Oh, Kevin." Lauren said softly, tears streaming down her face. She walked over to him and crouched down on the floor, carefully gathering him up in her arms. She stroked his back gently, burying her face in his hair as she tried to pull herself together. "Sweetie, how did you break your arm?" Lauren asked the little boy calmly, pulling away slightly so that she could look him in the eye. She already had a pretty good idea how this happened and who was responsible for it, but she wanted to hear the whole story.

"Lauren, I…" He started to explain, his voice quivering as he fought off tears.

"He fell off the jungle gym at school." Gloria interrupted him abruptly. She marched over and grabbed Kevin by his good arm, roughly pulling him away from Lauren.

"Like hell he did," Lauren sneered angrily, standing up and glaring at Gloria in disgust. "How could you let that bastard hurt him like this?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Gloria explained, feigning ignorance. "It was an accident. He broke his arm playing at school. Didn't you, sweetie?" She said, urging Kevin to corroborate her story.

"Yes." The little boy replied timidly, his eyes focused on the floor.

"Kevin, sweetie, come on. You're coming with me." Lauren declared, already reaching for his hand but Gloria pulled him back.

"I don't think so, my son's not going anywhere with you." Gloria sneered defensively.

"Why are you doing this?" Lauren said pleadingly. "He's your baby, Gloria. Your _baby_. And look what you're letting that son of a b!tch do to him!" She exclaimed, gesturing to the little boy's broken arm and split lip. "If you were any kind of a mother at all, you would let me take him away from all of this."

"Get out." Gloria hissed, glaring at Lauren in anger. "I don't need to stand here and listen to you judge me. My son and I are not come charity case, ya got that?"

"That's funny because I seem to recall you asking for donations a few minutes ago." Lauren spat out in contempt.

"Get out!" Gloria repeated, more forcefully this time. "And if you ever come near my son again, I'll file a restraining order. Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal." Lauren replied flippantly. She and Kevin were now about three feet apart but she crouched down anyway, trying to get his attention.

"Hey, buddy." She said softly, and his eyes darted up to meet hers. Her heart broke when she saw the look of pain and sorrow on his face. "I want you to be brave, okay?" She requested, her voice strained with emotion as she tried to hold back her tears. He nodded slightly. "Good boy. I promise you, this will all be over soon." Lauren declared with conviction. She offered him a reassuring smile before standing up and walking out of the apartment.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

She sat waiting in an uncomfortable plastic chair, nervously fidgeting with the 'visitor' ID card that hung around her neck. She was so lost in her own thoughts that she didn't even notice he had entered the room until the guard led him over to her table. She stood up to face him, trying to ignore the butterflies in her stomach that developed when their eyes met.

"What are you doing here?" Michael asked, obviously surprised to see her.

"We need to talk."


	14. Chapter Thirteen

-1**Chapter Thirteen:**

They sat facing each other in the dingy room, surrounded by tables occupied by prisoners and their loved ones. Some were holding hands, trying to get as much physical contact with their significant others as possible before they were forced to return to their cold, lonely cells. Lauren could hear whispered words of love and devotion being exchanged between a couple at a nearby table and she shifted uncomfortably in her seat. They'd lapsed into an awkward silence after the guard had left, neither one of them knowing what to say to the other.

"So, I'm guessing this isn't a conjugal visit?" Michael finally spoke, trying to use humor to ease some of the tension. It didn't work.

"Is that supposed to be funny?" Lauren replied, unamused.

"No, I guess not." He sighed wearily, rubbing the bridge of his nose in frustration. Lauren took in the sight of him, dressed in the standard orange jumpsuit. His hair was longer and unkempt, and the stubble on his face had far surpassed the five o'clock shadow mark. He looked pretty damn good, all things considering. Only the dark circles under his eyes hinted at the pain and turmoil going on inside him. Michael cleared his throat and Lauren realized that she had been sitting there staring at him all this time.

"Sorry." She apologized awkwardly. He offered her a sad smile.

"Why are you here, Lauren?" He asked, looking at her questioningly. "I was hoping you would have forgotten all about me by now."

"I could never…" She stopped herself, not wanting to get into this right now. There were far more important things to discuss. "I'm here to talk about your brother."

"Kevin?" Michael said in confusion. "What about him?"

"I take it you haven't seen him lately." Lauren surmised, her voice growing hoarse with emotion as she felt tears begin to sting her eyes.

"No, not since New Orleans." Michael replied, feeling a lump begin to form in his throat when he noticed how upset Lauren was. "Why? Has something happened to him?" He asked worriedly. She bit her lower lip and stared back at him, unable to answer. "Lauren…" He said pleadingly, urging her to respond.

"He called me yesterday. He sounded upset," She finally managed to choke out, trying to keep her emotions in check long enough to explain to Michael what had happened. "He said Tom was really angry and he was afraid that he was going to hurt him again, so I jumped on the first plane out here." Lauren explained, a bitter laugh escaping her throat as she angrily wiped away at her tears. "I thought I could help him. I thought I could get Child Services to intervene, or that Gloria would let me take him away…but I was too late."

"What do you mean you were too late?" He asked, terrified to hear her answer.

"He beat him," Was all she could manage to say before breaking down in tears. "He beat him really bad."

"How bad?" Michael questioned, his voice tense.

"The bastard broke his arm, Michael." Lauren revealed, images of Kevin with his split lip and heavy white cast flooded her mind and she tried to push them away. Michael just sat there, eerily quiet as he absorbed the information. Nostrils flared, hands clenched into angry fists, he stood up from the table abruptly and kicked his chair over in frustration.

"That son of a bitch!" Michael yelled angrily. "I'll kill him! I swear to God, I will fucking kill him for this!"

"Michael calm down!" Lauren warned, but it was too late. His outburst had attracted the guard's attention and they rushed over to restrain him.

"Alright, Baldwin. That's enough of that." One of the guards warned as he cuffed Michael's hands in front of him. "I think it's time for you to go back to your cell."

"No!" Lauren blurted out frantically. "Please, just a few more minutes."

"I'm sorry, miss. But it's standard policy to return all unruly inmates back to their cells." He explained regretfully, already starting to drag Michael away from the table.

"He's not unruly, I just said something that upset him." She explained desperately. "Please, I promise there'll be no more outbursts." Lauren assured him. The guard stopped what he was doing and looked at her suspiciously, trying to decide if he should trust her or not.

"Alright," He sighed, reluctantly allowing Michael to return to his seat. "But I'll be keeping an eye on you two." He warned. "And the cuffs stay on." The guard declared authoritatively before returning to his post.

"Thanks." Michael said quietly, not looking at her.

"Don't mention it." She replied, running a hand through her hair in frustration.

"So that's why you're here then?" He questioned, finally allowing himself to look at her. "Because of Kevin."

"I didn't know what else to do." Lauren explained softly, glancing up at him in desperation. "I didn't know who else to turn to."

"Why are you doing this?" Michael asked, genuinely confused by her concern for his little brother. Especially after everything he'd put her through. "Why are you so determined to help him?"

"How can you ask me that?" Lauren said incredulously. "I care about your brother. I care about what happens to him."

"I know you do," Michael said, smiling at her apologetically. "He's lucky to have you in his corner."

"No he's not." Lauren argued, her eyes welling up with tears once again. "This is all my fault."

"What do you mean?" He asked, confused.

"It was my stupid idea for us all to run off to New Orleans," She explained, sniffling back tears. "If it weren't for me, you'd be home with Kevin right now and he wouldn't have to face that bastard alone." Lauren declared sadly. "He would have been better off if he'd never met me."

"Lauren," He sighed, resisting the urge to reach out and comfort her. "Do you realize that my brother was a completely different person before he met you? He never smiled, he never laughed…" Michael explained truthfully, the admiration he felt for her was evident in his voice. "You are the _best_ thing that ever happened to that little boy, and I will be forever grateful to you for that."

"It's not enough," Lauren said fiercely, brushing off his words of praise. "I need to help him, Michael."

"And we will," He assured her determinedly. "I promise you, we will. As soon as I get out of here, you and I can…" He stopped himself, realizing that he had just subconsciously referred to them as a 'we'. He glanced at her apologetically, but she looked away. He sighed in frustration. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…"

"Why did you do it?" Lauren asked him quietly, the giant elephant in the room finally becoming impossible to ignore. "Why did you try to rape that girl?" She questioned, looking up at him expectantly when he didn't respond. Burying his face in his cuffed hands, Michael sighed in resignation and Lauren could tell he had hoped they'd never have to have this conversation.

"Well, after being labeled as a rapist I figured 'what the hell'? I might as well live up to everyone's expectations." He said bitterly, not wanting to talk about what was arguably the most darkest time in his life. She glared at him in disbelief, frustrated that he was trying to make light of such a serious matter. Angered by his unwillingness to open up to her, Lauren started to get up from the table.

"Wait! Lauren, don't go." He pleaded. She stood there, looking down at him expectantly. "I'm sorry. You deserve to know the whole story. I'm just,…I'm just not looking forward to telling it." He admitted hesitantly. Seeing the anguish in his eyes, Lauren gingerly sat back down

"I'm listening." She said softly, urging him to continue even though a part of her was just as nervous to hear the story as he was to tell it.

"I had just started working at the plant, right out of high school." He started to explain, his eyes focused on the table as he fidgeted with the chain on his handcuffs. "Unfortunately, most of the guys from my school also got summer jobs there, so my reputation followed me. I could never live it down. No matter where I went, no matter I did, that's all people ever thought of me as; Michael Baldwin the wannabe rapist." He said bitterly. "But then Isabella came along."

"Her and her family moved into the apartment next to ours that summer," He continued. "She was a year younger than me and was enrolled at my old high school, so of course she had heard all of the rumors. But my reputation never seemed to bother her. If anything, it seemed like that was what attracted her to me in the first place." Michael concluded. "I knew she had a crush on me, she wasn't exactly subtle about it. Hell, she came right out and admitted that the only reason she took the summer internship at GM was to be closer to me."

"I wasn't really interested in her though, we had nothing in common." He admitted, and Lauren subconsciously found herself sighing in relief. "But she was a beautiful girl, and after being shunned by almost everyone else in town, it was a nice feeling knowing that someone like her could actually be interested in a guy like me. So when she invited me over to her place one night while her parents were out, I figured I would be a fool to turn her down."

"But if my experience with Amber had taught me anything, I should have known that if something seemed too good to be true, then it probably was." Michael said, shaking his head regretfully. "We talked for hours that night, _really _talked. She told me all about her family and how they were barely making ends meat. That was the one thing we had in common; poverty. That, and delusions of grandeur."

"She said she was gonna be a super model." He laughed bitterly at that and Lauren wondered why. "She was confident that her face would be on the cover of Vogue one day. After that revelation, I felt secure enough to share with her my own pipe dreams. I told her all about how I planned on going to law school and that I was going to become a rich, successful attorney. I even told her all about the money I'd managed to save up to try and make my dream become a reality. That certainly seemed to peak her interest." Michael declared. Lauren had a feeling she knew where things were headed, but she kept quiet and let him continue on with his story.

"And so that's when she started coming onto me," He explained. "And it was like Amber all over again, except this time she seemed genuine. I had no reason to think that she didn't really want me. But just as we were about to…ya know." Michael said, and Lauren nodded uncomfortably. "She told me to stop. I asked her what was wrong and she started laughing at me, saying that I was an idiot to think that she was actually interested in someone like me. I should have known…" He said bitterly. "She explained how she had just wanted to see if 'Mikey the wannabe rapist' was as pathetic in bed as Amber had said I was."

"Michael," Lauren sighed compassionately, but he shook his head. He didn't want her sympathy. He didn't deserve it.

"She just kept on taunting me, laughing as she started getting dressed. And something in me just snapped." He explained, averting her gaze. "I grabbed her by the shoulders and pushed her down onto the couch. I ripped her shirt open and pushed her skirt up over her waist, but she just kept laughing at me the whole time. It was like she knew I wouldn't be able to go through with it… And she was right." Michael declared quietly. "I couldn't do it. So I grabbed my clothes and ran out of the apartment. And about two hours later, the police were at my door."

"And that's when they arrested you?" Lauren questioned, still reeling from his description of what had happened.

"Yeah," Michael confirmed. "Apparently Isabella had called 911, claiming that I had attacked her. And I guess technically I had." He reasoned. "But I swear to God, I never hit her. She had a black eye and bruises, but I never hit her." He promised.

"Then who did?" Lauren asked suspiciously. It wasn't that she didn't believe him, because she did. There was just something about his story that didn't quite add up.

"She did." Michael responded.

"What?" Lauren said incredulously. "She hit herself?"

"Yes," He declared. "At least that's what she alluded to when she asked me to meet her for lunch a week later."

"I'm not quite following you." Lauren said, confused as to why Isabella would be inviting him to lunch after everything that had happened.

"She said she did it to prove a point," Michael explained. "That she could tell the police anything she wanted to and they would believe her because when it came down to it, it was her word against mine. And they would never believe someone with my reputation."

"So this was all just some sick joke to her?" Lauren asked, disgusted that anyone could be so cruel.

"Not quite," He explained. "She wanted money for a plane ticket to California so that she could start pursuing her modeling career. So when I had told her about the savings I had set aside for law school, that's when she'd decided to put this little plan of hers in motion."

"She blackmailed you." Lauren surmised.

"Yeah," Michael confirmed. "She said if I gave her all of the money I had saved up, that she would drop the charges and clear my name." He explained. "I was gonna turn her down and take my chances in court, but I didn't want to risk losing. I couldn't afford to end up in jail, so I paid her off. Kind of ironic now, huh?" He teased, gesturing to their surroundings.

"Why didn't you tell me all of this sooner?" Lauren asked, trying to contain the overwhelming feeling of relief that was quickly sweeping over her. How could she have ever doubted him?

"It's not exactly something that I like to talk about," He said sharply. She nodded at him in understanding and he smiled at her apologetically. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I'm just glad I know the truth now." She declared, offering him a warm smile. Just then a buzzer sounded, signaling the end of visiting hours. The large room erupted into a flurry of activity, with prisoners saying goodbye to their loved ones as the guards moved to start ushering the inmates back to their cells. Michael stood up reluctantly.

"I guess this is goodbye." He said softly, offering her a sad smile. "Thanks for letting me know about Kevin. I just wish there was something I could do to help him."

"We'll think of something," She assured him, standing up so that they were facing each other. "_Together._"

"Together." He agreed, smiling at her reassuringly. And with that, he turned to leave.

"I could come back tomorrow morning if you want?" She called out after him and he turned back to face her.

"Yeah. I'd like that." He nodded, a goofy grin spread across his face.

"Okay, good. I'll be here." She promised, returning his smile. Lauren watched as Michael joined the line of inmates as they were lead back to their cells. Reluctantly, she turned to leave. Anxiously anticipating their next encounter.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

_The Next Morning…_

Lauren put the final touches on her makeup and smiled at herself in the mirror. She felt so much better now that she knew the truth about Isabella. In her heart she had always known that Michael could never be the kind of violent, hateful person described in that police report. But with everyone telling her what a horrible person Michael was, coupled with his own unwillingness to open up to her, it had been so easy to believe that Isabella's accusations were true.

Lauren couldn't help but feel guilty about turning her back on him so easily. After everything they'd been through together, even though she knew that he cared about her and that he would never hurt her…she'd abandoned him. She'd gone home to her lavish lifestyle while he had spent weeks locked up in a jail cell like some kind of animal.

Frustrated with herself, Lauren finished getting ready as she blinked back tears. She was determined to make it up to Michael now. She needed to prove to him that she wasn't like Amber or Isabella. He needed to know that her feelings for him were genuine and that she would never hurt him the way they had. She was going to stand by him while he fought these bogus kidnapping charges and then the two of them would find a way to rescue Kevin from Tom and Gloria. _Together._

Feeling more confident about the future than she had in weeks, Lauren grabbed her purse and flung open the door to her hotel room…and discovered her father standing in the hallway.

"Daddy!" Lauren gasped in shock. "Wha…what are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same question." He replied calmly. "What the hell were you thinking coming back here after everything that happened?"

"I _had _to," Lauren reasoned. "It was important."

"More important than taking your finals?" Neil declared angrily, brushing past her to enter the small hotel room.

"Oh my God," Lauren gasped, closing the door and turning to face her father. "I completely forgot that was today!" She explained truthfully. She'd been so focused on trying to help Kevin that she had forgotten that she was supposed to write her final exams that day.

"How could you forget about something this important, Lauren?" Neil asked, sighing in frustration. "I am so disappointed in you."

"I'm sorry, daddy." She apologized, burying her face in her hands as she sat down on the edge of the bed. Her father sat down beside her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders in a comforting gesture.

"What has gotten into you lately?" Neil questioned, his voice full of concern for his daughter. "Sweetie, you need to get your priorities straight."

"I know," Lauren agreed, sniffling back tears as she glanced up at her father apologetically. "And I will, I promise. I just need to deal with some things here first."

"What _things_, Lauren?" Her father asked in confusion. "Why did you run off here?"

Reluctantly, Lauren told her father all about the situation with Kevin. She knew that he had been concerned about the little boy's welfare when he'd learned of the situation back in New Orleans, so she hoped he would be able to understand why she just had to come to Detroit the minute she found out that Kevin was in trouble. Sure enough, after hearing about the Kevin's broken arm and Gloria's refusal to let Lauren intervene, Neil was just as determined to help the child as his daughter was.

"I think I'm going to take a little trip down to the Children's Aid Department," Her father declared with an air of confidence as he stood up from the bed. "Maybe I can pull a few strings an get the ball rolling on this."

"You would do that?" Lauren asked, surprised that her father was so willing to help, especially after the stunt she'd pulled.

"Of course!" Neil said determinedly. "No child deserves to live like that."

"Thank you, daddy!" Lauren exclaimed, leaping up from the bed to hug her father in gratitude. "You have no idea how much this means to me."

"I must say, I'm still very upset with you for skipping out on your exams," Neil explained as he pulled away from his daughter so that he could look her in the eye. "But I am so proud of you for wanting to help this little boy."

"He means a lot to me," Lauren reasoned, shrugging off her father's praise. "And so does Michael."

"Lauren," Her father said sternly. "I can understand you wanting to help Kevin and I will support you one hundred percent, but none of this changes how I feel about that young man. I don't want you anywhere near him."

"But daddy, you don't know the whole story!" Lauren tried to explain.

"He admitted to trying to rape a young girl, what else is there to know?" Neil said, frustrated by his daughter's continued devotion to Michael.

"It's not as simple as that," Lauren argued. She grabbed her father by the hand and started leading him towards the door. "Come on, I'll explain everything to you in the car."

"And just where are you taking me?" Neil asked curiously.

"We're going to visit Michael in jail." Lauren revealed, avoiding her father's disapproving gaze.

"Lauren, no. You are _not _going to see that boy!" Her father said sternly.

Fifteen minutes later they were driving through the gates at the Detroit House of Corrections.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"I'm still not sure if I believe his version of events. I mean, it is awfully convenient." Neil pointed out as they approached the front desk. Lauren had told her father about Isabella's little blackmail scheme against Michael, but he was still skeptical.

"He's telling the truth, dad. I know he is." Lauren assured him confidently. "You can ask him yourself if you'd like?"

"I might just do that." Neil agreed.

"How may I help you?" The officer at the desk asked them briskly.

"I have a scheduled visit with Michael Baldwin," Lauren informed her pleasantly. "I realize I'm a little late, but…"

"I'm sorry miss, but you can't visit Mr. Baldwin." The officer interrupted.

"Why not?" Lauren asked, confused.

"Because he's in the process of being released." The officer explained casually. "You're welcome to wait for him at the front gates."

"Thank you." Lauren said distractedly, still trying to digest the information.

"I take it you didn't know he was being released today?" Neil questioned, seeing his daughter's shocked expression as they left the room.

"I had no idea." Lauren said disbelievingly. She took her father by the hand once more and started dragging him out of the building. "Come on, I don't want to miss him!"

"God forbid." Neil muttered sarcastically as he reluctantly followed Lauren to the car.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

They arrived at the front gate of the prison just as Michael and a small group of other inmates were being released. There were a few other cars parked alongside the gate, loved ones and friends eagerly waiting to greet the freed prisoners. Lauren spotted Michael right away and immediately began waving her arms in the air to try and get his attention. He smiled when he saw her. That same captivating smile that had made Lauren's knees grow weak and her heart swell when they'd first met. It was having the same affect on her now. She fought off the urge to leap into his arms when he finally approached them.

"Hey." Michael said in way of greeting, shifting uncomfortably from foot to foot as he avoided her gaze.

"Hey yourself." Lauren replied sheepishly, shoving her hands in her pockets to keep from fidgeting. And despite the mistrust he still felt towards Michael, Neil couldn't help but smile at the awkward exchange. He wasn't used to seeing his overly confident daughter act so flustered.

"Look, I uh…I just want to thank you. _Both _of you," Michael added, throwing a nervous glance in Neil's direction. "For posting my bail. I promise to pay you back as soon as I can."

"What are you talking about?" Lauren said, utterly confused. She looked at her father to see that he was just as bewildered as she was. "We didn't pay you bail, Michael."

"You didn't?" He asked incredulously. She shook her head. "Well then who did?"

"That would be me." Came a voice from behind them. They turned to see a distinguished looking man in an expensive suit standing near the outskirts of the small crowd. He approached them slowly.

"Who the hell are you?" Michael asked, staring at the mysterious man suspiciously.

"I'm your father."


	15. Chapter Fourteen

-1**Chapter Fourteen**:

"My father?" Michael said in disbelief.

"That's right." He confirmed, moving closer to Michael to get a better look at him. He removed his wire rimmed glasses and peered at the young man in recognition. "My God, you've changed so much."

Michael shook his head in bewilderment. He couldn't believe that he was standing there talking to his _father. _It had been so long since they'd seen each other last, he didn't know how he was supposed to be feeling. The man standing in front of him could have been a virtual stranger as far as he knew. But something about the older man's hazel eyes held a familiarity that Michael couldn't deny. 

"Why?" He managed to choke out, staring at his long lost father in scrutiny "After all these years, why did you come back now?"

"I heard you were looking for me." He explained, placing his glasses back on. "We get so many people coming to the estate who claim to be long lost relatives of mine, I just figured you were another con artist. But when I saw you leaving the property, there was just something about you that seemed genuine. So when Rupert informed me that you had claimed to be my son, I decided to pay a little visit to my old stomping grounds to see if I could track you down." Lowell smiled at Michael "That's when I learned of your legal trouble and figured you could use my help." He finished, glancing at his son to try and gage his reaction.

"Who's Rupert?" Michael asked in confusion, choosing not to address the issue of his incarceration for now. He was still trying to wrap his brain around things.

"My butler." His father replied casually.

"Oh my God!" Lauren gasped in realization. "You live at that huge plantation." She surmised, unable to hide her astonishment. The older man chuckled at her reaction.

"Why yes, I most certainly do." He confirmed pleasantly before turning his attention to her father. "Forgive me for not introducing myself," He apologized, offering his hand to the other man in way of greeting. "Lowell Baldwin."

"Neil Fenmore." Neil replied, eyeing the older man curiously.

"Ah, then you must be Lauren." Lowell determined, reaching out to shake the young woman's hand. "Your name was mentioned in the police report." He explained. She shook her head in confusion.

"But wait a minute, I thought that house belonged to _William_ Baldwin?" Lauren asked suspiciously.

"It did." Lowell replied. "And now it belongs to me."

"William Baldwin," Neil repeated, stroking his chin in contemplation. "Why does that name sound so familiar?"

"Well, he was one of the wealthiest and most influential men in the country." Lowell explained nonchalantly. "He was also my grandfather."

"Baldwin Petroleum." Neil concluded and Lowell nodded in confirmation.

"He was the founder, owner and CEO of BP Incorporated."

"That's a multi billion dollar company." Neil declared, impressed. The two men began talking business and Lauren moved to stand beside Michael. He had been quiet for a while, still too shocked by his father's sudden reappearance in his life to fully comprehend what was going on in front of him.

"Hey," She said softly, trying to get his attention. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," He replied distractedly, lost in his own thoughts. "This is just all so surreal. I guess I never really expected to see my father again."

"And now he's back," Lauren declared, glancing up at Michael in concern when she noticed how unenthused he was. "That's a good thing, isn't it? I mean, that is why we went to New Orleans; to find your father. And now here he is, alive and well."

"Yeah, he's here now. But where the hell has he been for the last fourteen years of my life?" Michael said bitterly, the contempt he felt towards his father evident in his voice. Lauren reached out to comfort him, but he moved away from her touch. "He's been sitting in some mansion while I've been stuck here fending for myself and dealing with the stepfather from hell."

"Son," Lowell said pleadingly, having overheard his conversation with Lauren. "I understand why you're feeling the way that you do, but if you would just let me explain…"

"Explain what?" Michael barked out in frustration. "How you walked out on me and my mother without so much as a word? Or maybe you'd like to explain to me how you could desert your family to go and live like a king while we struggled just to make ends meat."

"Leaving you and your mother was the hardest decision that I have ever had to make," Lowell defended. "But I just couldn't do it anymore, I couldn't deal with Gloria and her constant bickering. Nothing I ever did was good enough for her. She wanted me to make more money, to make a name for myself. All I wanted to do was be a good husband and father, but she wasn't satisfied with that. So, I started drinking…"

"Don't blame my mother for that, she didn't force you to drink. You made that decision all on your own." Michael said defensively, glaring at his father in contempt. "I may not remember much about my early childhood, but the few memories that I do have aren't exactly pleasant ones. You were a drunk. And a lousy one at that."

"You're right. You're absolutely right," Lowell admitted regretfully. "And that's why I had to leave. I was no good to you in the condition I was in. But I never stopped thinking about you. I never stopped loving you." Michael rolled his eyes at that, not buying his father's sentimental declaration. "And that's why it hurt so much when you wouldn't return my phone calls or respond to my letters."

"What are you talking about?" Michael asked in confusion. "You never called me, and I sure as hell never got any letters."

"I must have sent over fifty letters those first few years I was gone. You're telling me you never received any of them?" Lowell asked suspiciously and Michael shook his head in response. "I can't believe her!"

"Who?" Michael asked, confused by his father's sudden outburst.

"Gloria. She must have kept my letters from you." Lowell explained, sighing in frustration. "Then I suppose she never told you about my offer either?"

"What offer?" Michael questioned, annoyed. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"I wanted you to come and live with me." His father declared. The look of surprise on his son's face prompted him to continue. "About five years after I left Detroit, I got a phone call from my mother asking me to come home to New Orleans immediately. When I got there, she told me that her father had passed away and left her everything. I had never met the man before and my mother never talked about him, so at the time I had no idea that she was the sole heir of one of the largest estates in the country." He explained, pausing for affect. "I didn't find that out until she decided to give it all to me."

"So your mother's dead too?" Lauren inquired, assuming he meant that his mother had left everything to him when she passed away.

"No, not at all. My mother is very much alive." Lowell proclaimed. "When I returned to New Orleans, she explained to me how her father had disowned her when she got pregnant with me out of wedlock. So when he threw her out of the house at the age of seventeen, she packed up her things and never looked back."

"Wow," Lauren said, completely immersed in his story. "So she hadn't spoken to her father in all those years and he still inherited everything to her?"

"Oddly enough, yes." Lowell confirmed. "But she didn't want any part of it. My mother had never been able to forgive her father for abandoning her when she needed him the most. So when William died and she learned of her extraordinary inheritance, instead of accepting it, she decided to turn it all over to me."

"How very touching." Michael said sarcastically, unimpressed with his father's tale of rags to riches.

"Michael." Lauren chided, glaring at him disapprovingly.

"It's alright, dear. Let him vent." Lowell said softly, accepting his son's resentment. "He has every right to be angry with me."

"I'm not _angry _with you," Michael argued, the bitterness in his voice fading slightly. "I don't even know you."

"Well," Lowell said softly after a few moments of tense silence. "I know we can never make up for the time we lost, but I would really like if you'd allow me to be a part of your life now."

"It's too late." Michael said dismissively, but Lauren could tell that the idea of building a relationship with his father was appealing to him. He was just too damn stubborn to admit it. "Anyway," he continued, changing the subject. "I'm probably gonna be thrown back in jail soon if these kidnapping charges stick."

"They won't." Lauren declared confidently.

"You don't know that." He argued, glaring at her defiantly. She ignored him.

"Mr. Baldwin, isn't there something you can do to make Tom and Gloria drop the charges?"

"Gloria never listened to me when were married," Lowell said regretfully. "I doubt things would be any different now."

"Daddy." Lauren whined, pleading with her father to fix things.

"I'll see what I can do," Neil promised her, wishing that he could wash away her troubles with a pony or a trip to Disneyworld like he had done when she was a little girl. "I'm going to head over to Child Services to see if I can't get them to do something. If worse comes to worse, I'll call in a favor with the senator. He owes me one."

"Child Services?" Lowell asked in confusion.

"Apparently, there have been some instances of abuse in the home." Neil informed the other man somberly. "His step father…"

"He beat you?" Lowell asked, looking at Michael questioningly.

"Not really," He shrugged, holding up his hand to silence her before Lauren had a chance to contradict him. "Kevin got the brunt of it."

"That poor little boy," Lowell sighed, shaking his head in disbelief. "I can't believe Gloria would get herself mixed up with someone like that. Son, if I had known things were that bad, I swear I would have come back sooner."

"Well, you're here now." Lauren chimed in when it became evident that Michael had no intention of responding. "That's what matters, and if we all work together there has to be _something_ we can do to save Kevin."

"Lauren's right." Neil declared resolutely. "I'll head on over to the Children's Aid Department to see if I can pull a few strings. Lowell," he directed his attention to the other man, motioning towards his car. "Would you like to tag along? I'm sure throwing the Baldwin name around wouldn't hurt."

"I think you can handle things on that end," Lowell declared confidently, nodding at Neil in gratitude. "I'll take the kids with me and head on over to the Fisher's. It's time for my ex-wife and I to a little chat."

xxxxxxxxxxxx

"Michael!" Gloria gasped when she opened the front door and found her eldest son standing in the hallway. "Wha…what are you doing here?" she stuttered.

"Hello, mother." he gritted out, glaring at her in contempt. "Miss me?"

"Of course I missed you!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around his neck. "I've been worried sick," she lied, pulling back to look at him. "When did you get out of jail?"

"Today," Michael informed her coldly. "No thanks to you."

"We're barely making ends meat, Michael. There was no way I could come up with that kind of money." she reasoned.

"Especially since you're the one pressing charges against me, " Michael spat out angrily. "Springing me free would kinda defeat the purpose, right?"

"Michael," she sighed, unable to defend herself against his accusations because they were true.

"Where's Kevin?" he asked abruptly, not interested in hearing anymore of her excuses.

"Out." she said dismissively.

"Where?" he questioned.

"So, who'd you get to pay your bail?" Gloria asked curiously, ignoring his question. "Was it that nosey little girlfriend of yours?"

"No, Gloria." Lauren declared as she walked around the corner and came to stand behind Michael. "I had nothing to do with it."

"Then who?" the older woman asked in confusion, glaring at Lauren distastefully.

"Hello, Gloria." Lowell greeted her casually, stepping passed Michael and Lauren as he entered the hallway and came face to face with his ex-wife. "Long time, no see."

"Lowell." Gloria choked out, her eyes widened in shock and it was as if she had just seen a ghost. Without another word, she quickly moved to slam the door in his face.

"Not so fast," Lowell sneered, slamming his hand against the door to prevent it from closing. "What's the matter? Aren't you happy to see me?"

"Get out of here, Lowell!" she spat out in contempt, crossing her arms across her chest defiantly. "I have nothing to say to you."

"Good, then you can just shut up and listen because I sure as hell have got something to say to you." Lowell declared, brushing passed his ex-wife to enter the tiny apartment he had once called home. Michael and Lauren followed closely behind him.

"Mikey, you're home!" Kevin shrieked excitedly as he peered out from behind the couch and saw his brother standing in the middle of the living room.

"Hey buddy!" Michael exclaimed, throwing an angry glance in Gloria's direction. "C'mere and give a hug." The little boy ran over to him anxiously and Michael bent down to lift him up in his arms, holding him close. When Kevin pulled back slightly, Michael looked down at the cast covering his tiny arm.

"Do you wanna sign it?" Kevin asked, smiling up at him happily.

"Sure." Michael choked out, his voice hoarse with unshed tears. He was gonna kill Tom for this.

"You too, Laur!" Kevin instructed her. She stepped closer to Michael, reaching out to ruffle the little boy's hair playfully.

"Yes, master." She teased, smiling at him warmly. Her eyes met Michael's and she held his gaze for moment before looking away.

"So where's Prince Charming?" Lowell questioned, glaring across the room at Gloria as she stood by the front door looking around the room nervously.

"I don't know," she replied truthfully. "He didn't come home last night and I haven't heard from him all day."

"How convenient." Lowell muttered bitterly, not believing her.

"Look, I don't owe you any kind of explanation alright?" Gloria said defensively. "What the hell are you doing back here anyway?"

"I came to see my son," Lowell explained. "Something you've kept me from doing for far too long."

"I never stopped you from visiting, you knew where we lived." Gloria argued.

"You made it sound like he wanted nothing to do with me, and now I find out that you didn't give him any one of the letters that I sent." He glanced at the injured little boy that Michael still held in his arms and shook his regretfully. "Now I know why."

"Say what you want about Tom, but at least _he _stoke around!" Gloria spat out accusingly. "I couldn't take care of Michael on my own, I needed someone and so did our son."

"I offered to let him come and live with in New Orleans and you turned me down, so don't you dare stand there and say that you hooked up with this creep for our son's sake."

"He's Kevin's father," she muttered quietly. "He needs his father."

"Look at your son, Gloria." Lowell instructed her, but she refused. "Look at him!" Reluctantly, she brought her gaze up to peer at Kevin and her eyes instantly filled with tears when she took in the sight of his various injuries. "Tom Fisher isn't a father. He's a coward. And you're no better than he is if you allow this to continue."

"I can't…" Gloria started to say when she was interrupted by a knock on the door. "Oh, what now?!" She yelled in frustration, wiping away the tears in her eyes that had yet to fall before turning around and wiping the front door open. Neil Fenmore stood in the hallway, two police officers stood beside him along with the social worker who Lauren had spoken to when she had arrived in Detroit the day before.

"Daddy!" Lauren exclaimed in relief, moving away from Michael and Kevin to greet her father at the door, grinning at Gloria triumphantly as she brushed passed the older woman to welcome her father and the authorities into the home. "You're just in time."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

An hour later, the mood in the tiny apartment had changed dramatically. Neil had used his connections with Senator Jackson to convince Child Services as well as the local police department to make Kevin their top priority. After reviewing statements given by teachers and doctors that described Kevin's various injuries over the years, as well hearing a detailed account from Michael about the abuse that he and his brother had suffered at the hands of Tom Fisher, the social worker determined that it would be in the best interest of the child to remove him from the home immediately. The police also issued a warrant for Tom's arrest and advised Gloria that it would be in her best interest to co-operate with them and persuaded her to drop the kidnapping charges against Michael. In return, they agreed not to charge her with endangering the welfare of a minor.

"Thank you for your time, officers." Neil said warmly, smiling in gratitude as he ushered them out of the apartment.

"We should get going as well." The social worker announced, standing up from the couch as she began gathering up her things.

"We?" Michael asked, glancing at Lauren in confusion.

"I'm taking Kevin with me," she announced nonchalantly. "He'll be placed in foster care for the time being."

"What?!" Lauren choked out, her arms tightening around the small boy seated in her lap.

"Mikey, I don't want to go with her." Kevin whispered to his older brother, grabbing hold of Lauren's forearm and holding on for dear life.

"I hope you're happy, Michael." Gloria muttered under her breath as she continued pacing the room.

"Can't he stay with me?" Michael asked pleadingly. "I'm over eighteen, I have a stable job…"

"I'm sorry, but I have to follow protocol." the social worker informed him, smiling apologetically. "Once your brother's been entered into the system and you've found a new permanent residence suitable for you both to live in, you can petition the court to have Kevin released into your custody but until then I'm afraid he'll have to stay in foster care."

"What if they were both to come and live with me?" Lowell suggested, getting up from the couch to stand in front of the younger woman.

"That would definitely improve Michael's chances of being awarded custody, but Kevin would still need to be placed in foster care for the time being." She informed him regretfully.

"In that case, I'd like to apply to be a foster caregiver." Lowell declared authoritatively. "I'm aware that there's a screening process, but surely you can make an exception."

"I'm sure Senator Johnson would really appreciate it if your agency would co-operate with us on this matter." Neil chimed in. The social worker nervously glanced between the two men before sighing in resignation.

"Very well, Mr. Baldwin." She conceded. "I'm releasing Kevin Fisher into your custody. I'll also make sure that the paperwork on your foster care application is put through as quickly as possible."

"Thank you," Lowell smiled in gratitude. "Here, let me walk you out." he declared politely, ushering her towards the front door.

"So, does that mean I get to live with you, Mikey?" Kevin asked anxiously, jumping out of Lauren's arms to stand in front of his big brother. "I get to live with you?"

"Yep," Michael declared, smiling warmly at the little boy before wrapping him up in a hug. "You get to live with me." Lauren watched the two brothers embracing, smiling in relief as she wiped away the tears that were spilling down her cheeks.

"Lauren too, right?" Kevin asked hopefully, turning towards her with a look of apprehension in his eyes. "You're gonna live with us too."

"Kevin, I…" Lauren stuttered, wishing that she could tell him what he wanted to hear. Her eyes met Michael's, he was gazing at her apologetically, but she saw something else flicker across his face momentarily. Maybe Kevin wasn't the only one wishing that things could go back to the way they were in New Orleans. Lauren swallowed around the lump that had formed in her throat, her breath hitching as she took a deep breath and prepared to break both their hearts.

"Hey, buddy." Neil said gently, bending down beside the couch so that his face was level with the little boy. Kevin looked up at him nervously, inching closer to Michael. "Lauren has to come back home with me so that she can finish writing some tests for school or else she won't be able to graduate." Her father explained, glancing at Lauren sternly. She smiled sheepishly in response. "But as soon as she's finished with school, I'm sure she'd love to come and visit you in New Orleans over the summer. Would you like that?"

"Yeah." Kevin replied softly, but his expression remained sorrowful. Neil offered him a reassuring smile, trying to ignore the feeling of guilt that had washed over him at the boy's reaction. "Lauren, we should probably get going." Neil informed her, standing up straight and heading towards the door. "I need to get back to work and you need to study. Plus, you've got your senior prom coming up…"

"I'm not going to prom." Lauren said softly, still seated on the couch beside Michael and Kevin.

"Why not?" Her father asked, obviously surprised by her declaration. "You've been talking about it for months. _Years _even! In fact, I remember when you were a little girl and you used to…"

"I'm not a little girl anymore, daddy." Lauren whispered, her eyes glued to the floor. The pain in voice tore at his heart. He had never seen his daughter this upset before. He couldn't bare it.

"No," Neil choked out in agreement. "No, you're not."

"You two getting ready to head out?" Lowell asked as he re-entered the room, oblivious to the scene he'd just walked in on.

"Lowell," Neil said, clearing his throat as he threw one last glance at the three melancholy kids. "Can I speak to you outside for a moment?"

"Of course." Lowell agreed, and the two men stepped out into the hall.

"I guess this is goodbye." Michael said softly, breaking the uncomfortable silence that had settled over the room.

"I guess so." Lauren agreed, looking up from the floor to meet his gaze. "There's so much I want to say to you." she whispered, her voice cracking as she fought back tears. "I just…"

"I know," He assured her, reaching out to stroke her damp cheek with the pad of his thumb. "No more tears, okay?"

"No more tears," She repeated, nodding her head in agreement. She turned her attention to Kevin, offering him a warm smile. "Well, come on. Gimmie a hug." The little boy flung himself into her arms, burying his face in the crook of her neck. She rubbed his back soothingly, reaching out to Michael with her other hand and entwining their fingers together.

"I'm gonna miss you." She whispered into Kevin's hair, her eyes never leaving Michael's. Just then, someone cleared their throat and all three of them jumped at the sound. They turned to see Neil and Lowell standing near the front door smiling conspiratorially.

"Mr. Baldwin and I have a proposition for you." Neil announced vaguely.

"It's regarding our move to New Orleans," Lowell began, directing his attention to Michael and Kevin. "It's going to take me a little while to get everything in order, so in the meantime…" He paused for affect. "How would you two like to go and stay in Genoa City for a little while?"

"At Lauren's house?!" Kevin exclaimed excitedly. Neil chuckled at the boy's reaction, nodding his head in affirmation.

"But, I do live there too ya know." He teased. Kevin giggled, leaping off the couch to stand in front of his brother.

"Mikey, we get to live with Lauren!" He declared enthusiastically, placing his hands on Michael's knees as he jumped up and down in excitement. "How cool is that?!"

"Very cool." Michael said quietly, smiling at Lauren before turning his attention to her father. "Are you sure about this, Sir?" He asked, his eye nervously darting away from the older man's intimidating stare. "I mean, I know I'm not exactly your favorite person in the world."

"I've learned never to judge people solely on first impressions." Neil declared, smiling at him reassuringly. "You're a good kid."

"Daddy," Lauren sighed, smiling at her father in gratitude as she got up from the couch and hugged him tightly. "You're the greatest!" An awkward silence developed between Michael and his father as they watched Lauren and Neil interacting. Michael stood up from the couch and held his hand out to the older man.

"Thank you," Michael said sincerely, frustrated by the inaccuracy of the words. "For everything."

"I only wish I'd done something sooner." Lowell declared, brushing off his son's praise. "Where's your mother?" he asked, glancing around the room and noticing her absence for the first time. Michael shrugged.

"Probably in her room sulking."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Tom? It's me." Gloria whispered into the phone's receiver as she sat on the edge of her bed, listening intently to the sounds of excitement coming from the living room. She scowled in contempt.

"What do you want?" He sneered in response and Gloria could hear his girlfriend Candi in the background. "I told you never to call me here." She hated him for cheating on her, hated him for never loving her the way she wanted him to. But he was all she had left now. She had to warn him about the police. She'd already lost her sons, she wasn't about to lose her husband as well.

"Something's happened."


	16. Chapter Fifteen

-1_Chapter Fifteen_

It was early evening by the time they pulled up in front of Lauren's house, the setting sun casting a glow over the property that made the home seem much larger than it actually was. But to the two boys who had spent years living in a tiny three bedroom apartment, it looked positively massive.

"Wow," Kevin exclaimed in awe, his face pressed up against the limousine's window as they came to a stop. "This is your house? It looks like a hotel!"

"It's not that big," Lauren chuckled dismissively, reaching across Michael's lap to unlock the door. Their eyes met briefly, her hair lightly brushing against his face as she leaned over him and pushed open the car door. "Come on," she declared, flustered. "I'll show you guys around."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxx

"See? Rich people _do _have pools!" Kevin informed his brother triumphantly, glancing out the bedroom window at the lavish backyard. "Can we go swimming, Laur?"

"Maybe tomorrow, buddy." she promised, running a hand through her hair in exhaustion "It's getting late, and I need to study."

"What exams do you have tomorrow?" Michael asked, his voice casual as he paced the room that his little brother would be sleeping in during their visit.

"American Lit and Chemistry," she groaned, knowing that she'd have no choice but to pull an all nighter if wanted to have any hope at all of passing her classes. "I'm so screwed."

"I'm sure you'll do fine." Michael said confidently, shifting his weight from foot to foot as he stood in the middle of the room glancing around nervously.

"Is something wrong?" she asked, sensing his discomfort. They needed to talk. But Lauren had to focus on passing her exams and she knew first hand how distracting he could be.

"I'm hungry." Kevin announced, breaking the tension that had settled between them. He moved away from the window and leapt onto the bed, jumping up and down excitedly. "Can we order a pizza?"

"Kevin, stop it!" Michael hissed, ordering his rambunctious little brother to quit jumping on the bed.

"It's okay, Michael." Lauren assured him, smiling warmly up at the little boy as he continued bouncing. It was good to see him acting so happy and carefree again. "Sure, we can order a pizza." she declared, reaching for the phone on the bedside table. "What do you want on it?"

"I'll take care that," Michael stopped her, placing his hand over her's to prevent her from dialing. She looked up at him questioningly, her skin tingling where he touched her. "You go study."

"Okay," she replied, nodding slowly, her eyes never leaving his. "I'll be in the library if you need anything." And with that, she walked out of the bedroom to leave Michael and Kevin to fend for themselves.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

_2:38am_

Lauren blinked tiredly, her eyes blurring as she re-read the same paragraph for what seemed like the millionth time. She wasn't used to studying. Usually she'd just wing it and hope for the best. None of her teachers would ever dare to give Neil Fenmore's daughter a failing grade. But she was tired of using her father's wealth and stature to get her through life. She was more than capable of passing her exams on her own merit. She wasn't stupid…just unmotivated. And more than a little distracted. Michael would be sound asleep by now. Upstairs. In bed. All alone. Lauren wondered what he would do if she crept upstairs, snuck into his room, crawled into bed beside him and…

"Hey." A familiar voice interrupted her wayward thoughts, she jumped at the sound and glanced up from her textbook.

"Michael." she choked out in surprise. "What are you still doing up?"

"I couldn't sleep." He explained dismissively, crossing his arms in front of his chest as he stood leaning against the doorframe. He had changed into his pajamas, black boxer shorts and a white cotton t-shirt that clung to his biceps like a second skin. Lauren cursed the butterflies in her stomach, turning her attention back to the textbook in front of her.

"Did you have a nightmare?" She questioned casually, remembering how troubled his sleep had been that first night in New Orleans when she had woken up in his arms. God, that felt like a lifetime ago.

"No." He replied softly, not offering up any further explanation. He eased himself away from the doorframe and walked over to the desk, plopping himself down beside her on the leather couch. "How's the studying going?"

"Don't ask." Lauren groaned, reaching across the cluttered desk to grab a pile of notes she still needed to review. Michael picked up the textbook she had been reading, flipping through the pages nonchalantly.

"Nathaniel Hawthorne," He muttered quietly, still scanning through the book. "I wrote a paper on him in grade twelve. Got an A."

"Why am I not surprised?" Lauren said teasingly, throwing him a quick glance before turning her attention back to her notes. "Too bad you can't write my exams for me."

"You'll do great on your own." Michael said confidently. "But I could stay up and help you study if you want?" Lauren looked up from her notes at his offer and her stomach did a little flip flop when she saw the sheepish grin on his face.

"Yeah," She said softly, returning his smile. "I'd like that."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The distant sound of birds chirping woke Lauren from her sleep. Her eyes fluttered open reluctantly and she winced when the sunlight filtering in through the library windows hit her face. Sighing in contentment, she moved to stretch her stiff joints and a strong pair of arms tightened around her waist possessively. She looked up slowly and her eyes met Michael's sleepy gaze.

"Good morning." He offered her a warm smile, his voice rough from sleep.

"Mmm, good morning." She cooed, burying her face in his neck as she snuggled closer to him. "How long have I been asleep."

"Just a couple of hours," He responded, stroking the hair away from her face. "I was going to wake you, but you looked so peaceful."

"I haven't slept that good in a long time." She admitted truthfully.

"Yeah, memorizing the periodic table will do that to ya." Michael teased, referencing their late night study session that had somehow ended with Lauren falling fast asleep with her head in his lap. She wrapped her arms around his neck, sitting up until their faces were mere inches apart.

"I slept good because I was with you." She declared, smiling at him flirtatiously when she saw a blush creep across his face. She leaned forward and nuzzled her nose against his playfully. "Thanks for all your help last night."

"Don't mention it." Michael said softly, his gaze falling to her lips. She parted them slightly, leaning forward to kiss him for the first time in weeks.

"I didn't realize you were studying anatomy." A familiar voice boomed from the doorway, causing the two teens to leap apart.

"Daddy!" Lauren choked out, abruptly standing up from the couch and running a hand through her hair in embarrassment. "We were just…"

"MmmHmm." Neil glared at her disapprovingly, but there was a hint of a smile on his thin lips. "Did you manage to get _any _work done last night?"

"Yeah, I covered all of the material that's going to be on the exam and I actually understood it for a change." she exclaimed, laughing nervously before glancing down at Michael in gratitude. "Michael helped me study." Neil's gaze shifted to the boy seated on his couch, watching in amusement as the teen shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

"Hurry up and go get ready." Her father instructed her, smiling warmly at them both before turning to leave the room. "I'll give you a ride to school on my way to the office." And with that, he was gone. Lauren plopped back down on the couch, sighing in relief.

"Your father hates me." Michael moaned, burying his face in his hands. Lauren chuckled.

"Trust me, you wouldn't be here if he hated you." She declared, smiling at him reassuringly before gathering up her textbooks and notes. "I'd better go get changed."

"When will you be back?" Michael asked her curiously, watching as she got up from the couch and headed towards the door.

"I should be home around 3:00pm." Lauren declared, throwing a worried glance at him over her shoulder. "Are you and Kevin gonna be okay here on your own?

"I think we can manage." Michael replied teasingly, gesturing to their surroundings. "Good luck on your exams."

"Thanks," she smiled at him warmly. "See ya later!"

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Lauren heard excited squeals and splashing sounds coming from the backyard as she walked into her bedroom. She smiled to herself, throwing her knapsack down onto the bed before opening the patio doors and walking out onto her balcony. Kevin was in the pool doing the doggy paddle in the shallow end, a bright pair of water wings helped to keep him afloat. Lauren grinned at the sight, glancing around in search of his brother. She found Michael sitting on the ledge of the pool, jeans rolled up to his knees as his feet dangled in the water. He wasn't wearing a shirt, the afternoon sunlight kissing his already tanned skin. Lauren shivered.

"Hey boys!" she shouted down to them, smiling mischievously when they looked up at her in surprise. "Did ya miss me?"

"Yay, Lauren's home!" Kevin exclaimed, slapping the surface of the water in excitement. "Come swimming with us!"

"Okay, buddy." Lauren agreed, her gaze landing on Michael. He was grinning up at her, shielding his eyes from the sun with the palm of his hand. She smiled at him coyly. "I'll be right down."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Twenty minutes later, Lauren walked outside carrying a towel in one hand and a bottle of tanning oil in the other. She had changed into her bathing suit, a cream colored bikini that left little to the imagination. She saw Michael's eyes widened as she sauntered over to him and Lauren grinned mischievously, pleased that her appearance was having the desired affect on him.

"Hey." she greeted him casually, laying her towel down beside him before taking a seat. She dipped her feet into the pool, shivering when the cold water touched her heated skin.

"Hey," he replied, throwing a glance in her direction before turning his attention back to Kevin, keeping an eye on his younger brother as he splashed around in the pool. "How did your exams go?"

"Good," she said softly, watching in amusement as Kevin tried unsuccessfully to do a handstand with his with his water wings on. "Really good actually. Maybe I should hire you to be my tutor?" she teased, her right foot tickling his beneath the waters surface.

"Lauren, come swimming with me!" Kevin shouted, doggy paddling over to where they sat. "Michael's a chicken."

"I am not," Michael argued defensively. "I just don't like to swim."

"That's cuz you don't know _how_!" Kevin giggled, grabbing hold of his big brother's leg as he tried to pull him into the water.

"Kevin, stop!" Michael shouted nervously, gripping the ledge of the pool to keep from falling in.

"You don't know how to swim?" Lauren asked in astonishment, smiling warmly at him when he shook his head in embarassment. "Well then," she said cheerfully, hopping into the pool beside Kevin and turning around to face him. "I'm gonna teach you."

Xxxxxxxxxx

Fifteen minutes later, she finally persuaded Michael to get in the pool. He insisted on using the latter, turning around and climbing back out again repeatedly before finally working up enough courage to stand in the shallow end and stay there. The water level barely made it passed his waist, but the terrified expression on his face made it look like he was stranded in the middle of the Atlantic.

"You okay?" Lauren asked, wading through the water beside him.

"Oh yeah," he gritted through clenched teeth, not moving a muscle. "Just peachy."

"Scaredy cat!" Kevin teased, swimming up beside his older brother and splashing water in his face.

"That's it, I'm done." Michael declared in frustration, wiping the chlorine out of his eyes as he started walking back towards the latter.

"Michael, no! Stay in." Lauren pleaded, wrapping her arms around his waist from behind to stop him from leaving. "Kevin won't splash anymore, will you Kevin?" she looked at him sternly and he shook his head affirmation, swimming over to the opposite end of the pool to practice his handstands.

"I don't think this is a good idea." Michael said nervously, she could feel him trembling against her. Something was wrong. Lauren could sense that his fear of being in the water wasn't only caused by his inability to swim.

"Okay," Lauren said softly, moving to stand in front of him as she took him by the hand and began leading him back towards the latter. "How about you come lather me with tanning oil instead?" she said teasingly, relieved when she saw the terror in his eyes subside.

"Now _that _I can handle." he leered, smiling at her in gratitude as she helped him out of the pool.

xxxxxxxxxxxx

Lauren sighed in relief as the cool aloe vera lotion seeped into her sunburnt skin. Having Michael coat her in tanning oil probably hadn't been the wisest decision, but getting to feel his hands all over her body again was worth it. They had spent the entire afternoon by the pool, sunbathing on lounge chairs and keeping an eye on Kevin as he dove under the waters surface only to reemerge seconds later demanding that they watch him do another trick. It had been a wonderful day and Lauren felt confident that things were finally getting back to normal. But just like it had been back in New Orleans, she knew they couldn't go on living together like this indefinitely.

"You look like a lobster." Kevin giggled as he ran into the room and sat himself down on the edge of her bed. Lauren glared at him over her shoulder.

"Gee, thanks." she muttered indignantly, studying her reflection in the mirror as she applied more lotion to her sunburn. "What are you doing in here anyway? I thought you were taking a nap."

"Nope. Too excited to sleep." he explained, restlessly kicking his feet against the side of her queen sized mattress. "Your daddy sent me to tell you that dinner's ready."

"Where's your brother?" Lauren asked curiously.

"He's in the library. I got bored when they started talking about law stuff."

"They?" she asked in confusion, getting up from her seat in front of the mirror to finish getting ready.

"Michael and your dad." he explained casually, watching her intently as she rooted through her jewelry box.

"They're in the library _together_?" Lauren questioned, a feeling of dread forming in the pit of her stomach.

"MmmHmm." Kevin nodded, grinning up at her knowingly.

"Oh boy."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"You're a very bright young man." Neil declared, impressed with Michael's extensive knowledge of the legal system.

"Thank you, sir." he replied humbly to the older man's unexpected compliment. Their conversation had somehow shifted from small talk about the weather to a discussion on the cost benefits of employing an in-house legal team versus hiring out to private firms. Michael was just grateful that in the twenty minutes since their awkward conversation had begun, they had somehow managed to avoid talking about Lauren.

"Enough with the formalities, son." the older man's authoritative voice interrupted his thoughts. "Call me Neil."

"Okay, Neil." Michael agreed, the word tasting foreign and wrong on his lips. An awkward silence settled over the room then. Michael shifted uncomfortably in his seat, throwing nervous glances in Neil's direction as he stood in the middle of the room flipping through the pages of an old book on corporate law. After a few excruciating moments, he finally spoke.

"So," Neil began, casually placing the book back on the shelf. "Exactly what are your intentions towards my daughter?" Shit, Michael silently cursed as he diverted his gaze to the floor and tried to work up enough courage to answer.

"I um…Well, she and I we…" he stuttered, trying desperately to find the words that would explain to this man that he was madly in love with his daughter.

"It's alright," Neil chuckled, sitting down beside Michael on the leather couch. "I know you love her."

"Is it that obvious?" he asked nervously.

"Afraid so," Neil sighed, placing his hand on Michael's shoulder and patting it reassuringly. "Don't worry, she's crazy about you too. I've never seen her like this before."

"I didn't think you would be so understanding." Michael admitted truthfully. "Especially after what happened in New Orleans. Not to mention everything that went down between Isabella and me…"

"It's in the past," Neil interrupted, offering him a warm smile. "All I care about is making sure that my daughter is safe and happy. And I've never seen her happier than when she's with you. Just don't hurt her."

"I won't." Michael promised him sincerely.

"Good." Neil grunted, satisfied with his answer. "Oh, and no more hanky panky in the house please. I realize that Lauren isn't a little girl anymore, but there are certain things that a father just doesn't need to see."

"Yes, sir." Michael chuckled, the anxiety he felt towards the older man quickly beginning to subside. Just then, the sound of someone clearing their throat caused both men to turn their attention towards the doorway.

"Is everything okay in here?" Lauren asked curiously, crossing her arms in front of her chest as she glared at them expectantly.

"Everything is just fine." Neil assured her, smiling at Michael conspiratorially before standing up from the couch and moving to greet his daughter at the door. "Michael and I were just having a little chat."

"About what?" Lauren asked suspiciously.

"Guy stuff." he replied vaguely, bending to place a kiss on her forehead. "Now, Lucretia has prepared a fabulous meal for you kids. Save me some, I'm sure I'll be famished by the time I get home."

"You're not eating dinner with us?" Lauren questioned, trying to mask her disappointment.

"I have to head back into the office for a bit," Neil explained, already turning to leave. "Don't wait up." And with that, he was gone. Michael gingerly eased himself up off and couch and walked over to her.

"You okay?" he asked gently, placing his hand on the small of her back.

"Of course I'm okay, why wouldn't I be?" Lauren smiled at him reassuringly, but Michael could tell she was hurting. "Come on, your brother's waiting for us in the dining room."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Lauren was absentmindedly flipping through the channels when Michael walked back into the den. After dinner she had changed into her pajamas while Michael put Kevin to bed, instructing him to meet her downstairs when he was finished. They needed to talk.

"He's out like a light." Michael declared, sitting down beside her on the overstuffed couch. He had changed into his pajamas as well. Grey t-shirt. Navy blue boxer shorts. No socks.

"I'm not surprised, he had a busy day." Lauren said distractedly, trying not to notice the way his five o'clock shadow made him look decidedly dangerous in the dim light of the room.

"Big tv." Michael said casually, motioning towards the 62" television situated in front of them. Lauren nodded.

"It was a sweet sixteen present from my father." she explained nonchalantly, channel surfing until she finally settled on an old episode of The Munsters.

"He works a lot, huh?" Michael asked after a few moments of comfortable silence.

"My dad? Yeah well, he runs a multi-million dollar company. He can't be home all the time." Lauren explained, her voice raising defensively.

"Still. It must get lonely here in this big house all by yourself." Michael argued.

"Not really," Lauren shrugged, her eyes focused on the screen in front of her. "I'm used to it."

"You shouldn't have to be used to it." he muttered, gazing at her sympathetically.

"Michael," she whispered pleadingly, wiping away the tears that were threatening to spill down her cheeks. "I've had an amazing life. My father spoils me rotten." She reached across the couch and clasped his hand in her's. "Please don't feel sorry for me. Not after everything you and your brother have been through."

"I just wish…"

"I know," Lauren offered him a sad smile, squeezing his hand reassuringly. "But we're together for now at least. Let's just focus on that."

"Alright." he agreed, entwining their fingers together as he sighed in resignation.

"You've got so much to look forward to." Lauren reasoned, lightly stroking his palm with the pad of her thumb. "You and Kevin are moving to New Orleans and you're finally gonna get the chance to build a relationship with your father."

"My _father_." he repeated the word awkwardly. "I still can't believe he's back. And he never even asked me if I wanted to live with him ya know. He just assumed."

"But you _do_ wantto live with him though, don't you?" Lauren questioned.

"I guess." he shrugged. "Anything's better than living with Tom and Gloria, right?"

"Did Tom hurt you? I mean, I know he hurt you, but did he…" she sighed in frustration, trying to find the right way to phrase her question. "Earlier today, when we were in the pool. I just got the feeling that something had happened in the past to make you hate being in the water so much."

"Am I that transparent?" Michael asked teasingly, but Lauren could hear the slight tremor in his voice.

"Only to me." she grinned, bringing his hand up to her lips and placing gentle kisses along each of his knuckles. He sighed heavily and Lauren could tell this was going to be tough for her to hear and even tougher for him to tell.

"I was about Kevin's age," Michael began reluctantly. She watched him take a deep breath to try and steady his nerves before continuing. "It was a few months before my father left. He had the day off and instead of spending it with his buddies at the bar, he decided to take me swimming at the local rec center. It was my first time going. I didn't know how to swim, but he promised to teach me." Michael chuckled, shaking his head in amusement although Lauren suspected that what he was about to say was anything but funny.

"It was nice, at first. He took me into the shallow end and taught me how to float." Michael explained smiling fondly at the memory. But then his smile faded. "I was lying on my back, staring up at the ceiling and he said he'd be right back. He was just going to the washroom, but he'd be right back."

"Oh, Michael." she sighed, holding his hand up against her face and placing a gentle kiss in the center of his palm.

"About five minutes later, one of the other kids in the pool accidentally bumped into me and I stopped floating. I didn't know what to do, I couldn't keep myself from sinking." he stopped for a moment, trying to collect his thoughts before continuing. "I guess the lifeguard must have heard my screams because the next thing I remember I was being laid out on the floor as he gave me mouth to mouth. They looked everywhere trying to find my father, but he was long gone. I walked home by myself and found him passed out on the couch." Michael explained, his voice eerily void of emotion. "I guess he must have forgot about me."

"I could never…" Lauren whispered fiercely after a few moments of silence, his story having brought her to tears.

"You could never what?" he asked in confusion, reaching out to wipe them away.

"Forget about you." she declared. Michael smiled sadly at her soft spoken confession, moving closer to her on the comfy couch as she curled up beside him.

"I thought about you everyday, ya know." Lauren admitted, smiling ruefully as she laid her head down against his shoulder. "Even though I didn't want to."

"I thought about you too," Michael said softly, pressing his lips against her forehead as she snuggled further into his embrace. "I was afraid you would hate me after what happened."

"I tried to hate you, but I just couldn't. I guess in my heart, I knew it wasn't true. The guy described in that police report wasn't the same guy that I fell in…" she stopped herself, still not comfortable saying the words. "He wasn't you."

"You're amazing, you know that?" he sighed, gazing at her in admiration as she raised her eyes to meet his. "No one has ever believed in me the way you do. I owe you so much."

"No," she argued, placing her finger against his lips to silence him. "You don't owe me a damn thing. If anything, I should be thanking you. I was such a bitch before we met."

"I dunno, you still have your moments." Michael said teasingly, ducking when she moved to hit him over the head with a pillow. "Hey, cut it out!" he chuckled, grabbing hold of her wrists to ward off any further attacks. "I love bitchy Lauren."

"You do?" she asked, grinning sheepishly.

"Oh yeah." he groaned, reaching out to tuck an errant strand of hair behind her ear. "When I was all alone in my cell at night, I would think about that time in New Orleans when you got in a fight with those two sorority girls…" he grinned at her lasciviously. "So hot."

"You're such a guy," Lauren rolled her eyes in exasperation, moving to straddle his lap and smiling in satisfaction when she saw his eyes widen slightly. She wrapped her arms around his neck, her fingers lightly combing through the short hairs at the base of his neck. "So," she cooed, leaning forward slightly so that her lips grazed his ear when she spoke. "Was that the only thing you thought about late at night? All alone…"

"Lauren," he choked out, his breath having grown shallow. She shifted purposefully in his lap, feeling his arousal grow beneath her. "We can't do this."

"Why not?" she purred, leaning forward to nip at his jaw line.

"I promised your father we wouldn't…" he groaned softly as she drew his earlobe into her mouth and suckled. "in the house."

"Well then, I guess it's a good thing my father's not here." she whispered mischievously, her warm breath tickling his skin and she felt him shiver slightly before pulling away.

"Still," he began to protest, grabbing hold of her wrists to stop her from touching him. "I don't want to disrespect your dad like that."

"You're a good man, Michael Baldwin." Lauren declared, crossing her arms in front of her chest as she sighed in frustration. "Too good."

"The man was kind enough to open up his home to me, the least I can do is respect his wishes." Michael reasoned, running his hands up and down her back soothingly.

"Fine." she conceded, her bottom lip protruding in a pout. She gazed at him innocently, fluttering her eyelashes for affect. "Can I at least get a goodnight kiss?"

"I guess that would be okay." he agreed, offering her a lopsided grin as she leaned forward to capture his lips with her own. The kiss started off chaste, a simple meeting of the mouths. But as their lips were busy getting reacquainted, Lauren took the opportunity to reach down between them and cup his hardness in her hand. Michael gasped and as his lips parted, Lauren plunged her tongue into his mouth. They both moaned in pleasure at the sensation.

"Oh God." he groaned as she latched onto his plump lower lip, nipping at it playfully.

"I know." she whispered, grinding against him in earnest. He bucked his hips up to thrust against her and she whimpered before leaning forward to taste lips once again. Her tongue tangled with his own, both of them battling for dominance. Then without warning, she tore her mouth away from his and stood up abruptly.

"Wha…what are you doing?" he stuttered, staring up at her through dilated pupils as she grinned back at him mischievously. Her eyes never leaving his, she pulled her tank top up over her head and tossed it at him flirtatiously. Then without saying a word, she turned on her heel and walked out of the room clad in nothing but her pajama pants and bra. It took Michael less than five seconds before he made up his mind to follow her.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Michael shook his head in amusement when he found Lauren's flannel pj pants on the floor the near the patio doors. Stepping outside into the humid night air, he spotted her black bra and matching panties on the walkway leading towards the pool area. Following the trail of discarded undergarments, Michael rounded the corner just in time to see Lauren dive head first into the deep end of the pool. The lavish backyard was shrouded in darkness, moonlight reflecting off the water's surface as he waited for Lauren to come up for air.

"What are you doing?" Michael asked her curiously when she finally popped her head out of the water and turned to face him.

"Waiting for you to join me." she replied, wading through the water in the center of the pool. The underwater lights cast an inviting glow around her naked body, highlighting her curves and causing Michael's mouth to water.

"I know things got a little heated back there on the couch, but I meant what I said." he declared resolutely, desperately trying to keep his eyes from traveling the length of her body. "No sex in your father's house."

"In case you haven't noticed, we're outside." she declared stubbornly, gesturing to their surroundings.

"Lauren." he pleaded, his resolve fading quickly.

"Do you want me, Michael?" she asked coyly, leaning back against the side of the pool as she gazed up at him expectantly. Droplets of water clung to her chest and Michael forced himself to swallow around the lump that formed in his throat when he saw her hardened nipples peeking out from beneath the water's surface.

"God yes." he groaned, unconsciously taking a step towards her..

"Then come get me." she purred.

"Lauren, I…" he wanted nothing more than to jump in the pool and make love to her, but the thought of

"I know being in the pool brings back bad memories for you," "So let's make some good memories

"Maybe you should forgo fashion school and major in psychology instead." Michael said teasingly.

"Quit stalling and lose the pants, Baldwin." she ordered, motioning to his tented boxer shorts.

"Yes, ma'am." he agreed, stripping out of his clothes and shaking his ass flirtatiously as he pulled his boxers down past his waist. She giggled at his antics and swam into the shallow end to greet him near the latter. His smile faded as he placed his hands on the railing and nervously glanced down into the murky depths. Lauren must have sensed his apprehension because she swam into his field of vision so that he didn't see the water anymore. He only saw her.

"I need you, Michael." she whispered pleadingly, holding her arms open to him as she waited patiently for him to step into the pool. Taking a deep breath, he threw caution to the wind and slowly entered the water. When he was fully submerged from the waist down, Lauren moved towards him cautiously and examined his face for any signs of distress. She sighed in relief when he offered her a reassuring smile.

"I think I'm cured." he said teasingly, reaching out to pull her closer. She wrapped her arms around his neck, her breasts lightly brushing against his chest causing both of them to shiver.

"Good." Lauren replied distractedly, nuzzling her nose against his. "Now make love to me, Michael." He ran his fingers through her damp hair, cupping her face in hands as he leaned forward and crushed his mouth to her's in a fierce kiss.

"God, I've missed you." he growled against her lips, easily lifting her up in his arms and pulling her close. She whimpered, wrapping her legs around his waist as he entered her. All thoughts of neglectful fathers and impending separation disappeared as they made love for hours beneath the light of the moon.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"G'morning sleepyhead!" Kevin exclaimed as Lauren walked into the busy kitchen.

"Good afternoon is more like it." Neil muttered jokingly as he stood in front of the stove with a spatula in one hand and a recipe book in the other. "Okay buddy, I need another cup of flour."

"Comin' right up!" Kevin replied, grabbing a measuring cup off the counter and pouring the white powder into it, getting more on the floor than in the cup.

"What are you doing?" Lauren asked in confusion, wiping the sleep out of her tired eyes as she gingerly sat down at the kitchen table.

"Making pancakes." Neil informed her distractedly as he poured a glob of batter onto the frying pan.

"Since when do you make pancakes? Or any type of food for that matter." she questioned, surprised that her father was even home for breakfast, let alone making it himself.

"Kevin wanted pancakes, so I'm making pancakes." Neil explained casually and Lauren couldn't help but smile. She knew it wouldn't be long before the little boy managed to wrap her father around his little finger.

"Is Michael still asleep?" Lauren asked, trying to sound nonchalant. He had snuck out of her bedroom at 6am that morning after they'd made love for the third time. She hated not waking up in his arms, but Michael didn't want her father to catch them in bed together. Again.

"No, actually. He's uh…he's out." her father stammered, avoiding her gaze as he continued flipping pancakes.

"Out?" she asked curiously, trying to ignore the feeling of dread that washed over her. "Out where?"

"He didn't say," Neil explained casually, still not looking at her. "But he should be back any minute now."

"Daddy," she sighed in frustration. He was keeping something from her. And judging by the smirk on Kevin's face, the little boy was in on it too. "What aren't you telling me?" As if on cue, the sound of a car horn blared from the driveway. Lauren glanced towards the front door before turning back around to glare at her father suspiciously.

"Why don't you go and see who it is?" he grinned, motioning towards the door. She saw him and Kevin smile at each other conspiratorially as she slowly got up from her seat and made her way into the foyer. She quickly unlocked the door and stepped outside, wincing when the early afternoon sunlight hit her face. Shielding her eyes from the sun, Lauren cautiously made her way down the front steps that lead to the circular driveway.

"Oh my God…" she gasped, staring in astonishment at the white stretch limousine parked in front of her house. Her jaw dropped when the back door of the car opened slowly and Michael stepped out onto the driveway. He was wearing a black tuxedo, his hair gelled back and his face clean shaven. He smiled at her mischievously, walking up the pavement until he was standing directly in front of her.

"Michael," she managed to choke out, trying to look over his shoulder to see what he was hiding behind his back. "What is all this?" He didn't answer her. He didn't say a word as he crouched down before her on bended knee.

"Oh my God," Lauren gasped again, her eyes searching his for an explanation. "Michael, I…what are you…"

"Lauren Fenmore," he began softly, taking a deep breath to settle his nerves. "Would you do me the honor of allowing me to accompany you to your senior prom?"

"Prom?" she squeaked out, relief and disappointment washing over her when he pulled his hand out from behind his back and presented her with a corsage. "You want to be my prom date?"

"Why? Is there someone else you'd rather go with?" he asked teasingly, but Lauren saw the lingering insecurity in his eyes.

"No, of course not. I just…" she sighed in frustration, not used to feeling so out of sorts. "How did you pull all this off?"

"Your dad helped." he explained sheepishly, nodding towards the front door. Lauren turned to see Kevin and her father standing behind her, both of them eagerly awaiting her answer.

"So," Michael said, easing himself up off the ground and holding the corsage out to her once again. "How about it? Will you go to prom with me?"

"Michael," she sighed, reaching out to stroke his face. "I already told you, I'm not going to prom. It's not important."

"Yes, it is." He argued, taking her hand in his and squeezing it gently. "This is one of the most important nights of your life."

"You of all people should know how unimportant prom is." Lauren declared, referencing the night he was wrongfully accused of rape.

"Okay, so my senior prom sucked. But that doesn't mean that yours will." he reasoned.

"Michael…"

"Please, Lauren." he said pleadingly. "If you won't do this for yourself, then do it for me. I'd love to make some new prom memories to replace the old ones with." Her eyebrow raised at his choice of words, remembering how much fun they'd had making new memories in the pool last night. Sighing in resignation, she gave him her answer.

"Yes." she finally replied, smiling up at him excitedly. "My answer is yes. I'll go to prom with you."

"She said yes!" Michael exclaimed loudly, grinning from ear to ear as he swung his arm around her waist and hoisted her up in the air. She shrieked, wrapping her arms around his neck to keep from falling. She could hear Kevin and her father cheering in the background as she leaned forward and kissed Michael senseless.

It was going to be an interesting night.


	17. Chapter Sixteen

-1_Chapter Sixteen:_

"Sweetheart?" Neil called out hesitantly as he knocked on the door to Lauren's bedroom and waited for her to respond. "May I come in?"

"Just a sec!" she replied and he could hear her moving around the room before finally opening the door and permitting him to enter.

"My God," Neil gasped as he took in the sight of his only child. "That dress…" She was wearing one of his most recent designs, a floor length evening gown that clung to her curves without the use of straps. Diamond studded sequins lined the neckline, standing out in stark contrast to the silky black fabric that hugged her hips and flared out at the ankles. "It's stunning."

"Well, you did design it after all." Lauren pointed out, offering him a warm smile as she walked over to the bureau and began rummaging through her jewelry box.

"I can't believe how grown up you are." Neil commented as he moved to stand behind her and reached out to help fasten the diamond necklace around her slender neck. "You look just like your mother."

"Is that a good thing?" She chuckled, but it sounded forced and Neil noted the way her eyes darted away from his uncomfortably. They rarely ever talked about Joanna. When his wife had left him twelve years earlier, Neil had tried his best to keep Lauren happy in the wake of her mother's abandonment. But it hadn't been easy and sometimes he wondered if the pain and anger his daughter felt would ever go away.

"I loved your mother, Lauren." Neil declared resolutely, placing his hand on her shoulder as their eyes met in the mirror's reflection. "I still do."

"Why?" She questioned disbelievingly, turning away from the mirror so that they were once again facing each other. Neil's heart broke when he saw the tears in her eyes and he gently reached out to wipe them away.

"When you love someone so completely, it's almost impossible to stop." Neil explained, his voice growing hoarse as a familiar pang of loneliness hit him unexpectedly. "No matter how badly they may hurt you." Lauren didn't respond, her eyes searching his for authenticity. After a few moments of silence, she nodded in understanding and moved to sit on the edge of her bed.

"I should finish getting ready," She declared, putting an end to their conversation. "I don't want to keep Michael waiting."

"The poor guy's downstairs pacing a hole in my living room floor as we speak." Neil chuckled, noticing the way her lips twitched upward as the ghost of a smile flashed across her face. "This one's special, isn't he?"

"Yeah," Lauren whispered, her voice choked with emotion. "He sure is."

"I suppose this is where I should give you the old 'take things slow, you're both too young to be in love' speech huh?" Neil said teasingly as he sat down beside her on the queen sized mattress.

"You could," She grinned. "But you'd be wasting your breath."

"When did you get to be so stubborn?" He chided her playfully, watching as she leaned over to do up the straps on her open toed heels.

"I learned from the best." Lauren replied confidently, standing up from the bed and reaching for her purse. "I'd better go put Michael out of his misery."

"Honey, wait." Neil placed a hand on her shoulder to stop her from leaving.

"What is it, dad?" She asked, staring at him in confusion.

"I just want you to know," His voice began to crack and so he stopped, taking a moment to try and keep his emotions in check. "How proud I am of you - of the woman you've become."

"Daddy…" Lauren sighed, rolling her eyes at his compliment.

"No, let me do this." Neil said resolutely, clearing his throat in an effort to keep the tears at bay. "It's my baby girl's prom night, can you blame me for getting a little sentimental?"

"I guess I'll let it slide this once." She replied, smiling through her own tears.

"I realize I've been a bit of a workaholic lately…"

"Lately?" Lauren said teasingly, but he recognized the accusation in her voice.

"For a long time now," Neil admitted, nodding his head regretfully. "Too long."

"It's okay dad," she said, smiling at him reassuringly. "I know your work is important to you."

"_You _are the most important thing in the world to me, Lauren. Everything else is inconsequential, you should know that." Neil declared, sighing in resignation. "And the fact that you don't only proves my point."

"Daddy…"

"I let you down." he finished, interrupting Lauren's objection. "When your mother left, I should have made you my top priority. But instead, I buried myself in my work."

"You were hurting too," she reasoned compassionately, "I get that."

"That's no excuse." he shook his head, unwilling to accept her forgiveness. "I'm your father, I should have put your happiness ahead of my own grief."

"But I am happy, dad." Lauren assured him, smiling brightly to let him see the truth behind her words. "Completely, deliriously happy."

"Because of Michael." Neil smiled knowingly, pleased that his daughter had found someone.

"And because of _you_." she declared, reaching out take his hand in hers. "You aren't giving yourself enough credit, dad. You're an amazing father. After all the mistakes I've made, all the trouble I've caused, you never once gave up on me."

"You're a good kid." Neil argued confidently.

"That's not what you said when I was fourteen and you had to come and bail me out of jail for shoplifting." Lauren reminded him, a hint of a smile on her face as she recalled the unpleasant memory.

"You were going through a stage," he shrugged, remembering how scared she'd been when he showed up at the police station. It seemed like a life time ago now. "I should be thankful that's the worst trouble you ever got yourself into...That _is _the worst thing you've ever done, right?" He noticed the way her gaze shifted away from his uncomfortably and he instantly knew that she was hiding something, something he was positive he didn't want to know about.

"Uh, sure." Lauren mumbled, offering him a mischievous grin. "Well, besides running off to New Orleans with Michael and Kevin of course."

"I understand why you did that now, and I'm not angry." Neil assured her. Pride didn't even begin to describe how he felt when he thought about the lengths his daughter had gone to in order to help those two boys escape from Tom Fisher. "I just wish you'd come to me from the beginning."

"I didn't think you'd understand." she reasoned.

"Of course I would have." Neil said compassionately. "You obviously care very deeply for this boy and his little brother, and I would have done everything in my power to help them."

"I know that now. I guess I just got caught up in the moment." she explained, shrugging her shoulders self-consciously. "I wanted to handle it myself."

"You've always been extremely independent." he declared, grinning with pride. "Heck, you were changing your own diapers by the time you turned three."

"Oh God, please no baby stories." Lauren groaned, rolling her eyes at his nostalgic comment. "You'll be pulling out my old photo album next."

"There is a really cute picture of you in the tub with your rubber ducky that I'm sure Michael would love to see." Neil taunted, chuckling when he saw his daughter's eyes widen in horror.

"You wouldn't." she gasped and Neil grinned, letting her know that he would. Lauren glared at him mock threateningly until she could no longer keep a straight face. After her giggles had subsided, she glanced down at her watch and sighed. "Speaking of Michael, I really should get going."

"Alright," Neil agreed, offering her his arm as he escorted her out of the room. "Now, I want you to have a wonderful time tonight. And don't do anything I wouldn't do."

"I promise to be on my best behavior." Lauren promised and for the first time in years, he believed her. He stopped walking when they reached the top of the stairs and pulled her into a fierce embrace.

"I love you, princess." he whispered, placing a kiss on her forehead.

"I love you too, daddy." she replied, smiling up at him warmly when they pulled apart. And with that, he took her by the hand and slowly lead her down the winding staircase to greet the boy who had stolen his daughter's heart.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"The Four Seasons?!" Michael said in disbelief as he poked his head out of the limousine's sunroof and gazed at the brightly lit hotel in the distance. "Your prom is being held at the Four Seasons?"

"That's what it says on the ticket." Lauren replied nonchalantly, grabbing his arm and pulling him back inside the car. He plopped down beside her on the leather seat, smiling in excitement.

"My prom was at the Holiday Inn." Michael said, shaking his head in disbelief at the thought of spending the evening in a four star hotel.

"If you'd like, we can skip this whole prom thing and find a Holiday Inn of our own? Haul up there until morning?" Lauren whispered in his ear suggestively, laying her head down against his shoulder as she began tracing patterns on his chest with the tip of her well-manicured finger. "Just you, me and a king sized bed with questionably clean sheets…"

"Nice try, babe. But I wouldn't miss tonight for anything. Besides, there'll be plenty of time for that later on." Michael promised, leaning forward to capture her earlobe between his lips and nibbling on it playfully. She squirmed in her seat as he continued to whisper softly in her ear, his warm breath tickling her skin. "I can't wait to show you off." he declared, flicking his tongue over her sensitive lobe one last time before pulling back slightly to look her up and down. "You look gorgeous by the way."

"So do you." Lauren replied, running her hand down the lapels of his suit jacket. "I missed you today."

"I missed you too." Michael said honestly, wondering how on earth they were going to cope when he moved to New Orleans when spending a few hours apart that day had proved to be unbearable.

"You could have come to the beauty salon with me like I suggested." Lauren teased.

"As riveting as that sounds, I'm kind of glad I stayed home." he admitted, a look of quiet contemplation crossing his face. "I had a really interesting conversation with your father. He's a pretty amazing man."

"Yeah, he is." Lauren agreed, glancing at him suspiciously and he knew she was wondering if their talk was about her. It wasn't, but he decided to keep quiet and let her squirm. "Your father seems pretty amazing too."

"Yeah." he mumbled, glancing out the window as they pulled up in front of the lavish hotel. "I guess."

"Give him a chance, Michael." Lauren said pleadingly, placing her hand on his thigh and giving it a reassuring squeeze. "He may just surprise you."

"Yeah, well…" Michael stepped out of the limousine and reached back in to help her up. "I don't like surprises."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Lauren! I didn't think you were going to show up!" A shrill, familiar voice rang out from across the room when she and Michael entered. They were late and everyone else was already seated at their designated tables, dining on what looked like soup and ceaser salad. Lauren's stomach growled at the sight, reminding her that she hadn't eaten anything all day.

"Teresa," Lauren said in way of greeting, offering her a warm smile. Teresa Lancaster was one of the few girls at her school that Lauren actually got along with. She wouldn't go so far as to call the other girl a friend though. Especially since she had slept with her boyfriend two years ago, a fact that Teresa was still blissfully unaware of. "You know I'd never dream of missing senior prom. What made you think otherwise?"

"Well, I heard about you and Danny and I figured that since you didn't have a date…" her voice trailed off as she finally seemed to notice the handsome young man whose arm was wrapped possessively around Lauren's slender waist. "But it looks like I was mistaken."

"Teresa, this is Michael Baldwin." Lauren introduced, unsure if she should introduce him as her boyfriend. Is that what he was? It sounded so inadequate, but she couldn't very well introduce him as her soul mate. "Michael, Teresa Lancaster."

"Nice to meet you." Michael said politely, reaching out to shake the other girl's hand. She looked him up and down lasciviously and Lauren felt the familiar pangs of jealousy pierce her gut. This is why she didn't have girlfriends.

"He's cute." Teresa surmised, her eyes glued to Michael's as she spoke. Lauren was about to tell the bitch to back off when Teresa's boyfriend saved her the trouble.

"Babe, come on. Your soup is getting cold." the jock called out from his seat at the table, a blush creeping across his chiseled face when his gaze met hers and Lauren could tell he was remembering their night together. "Hey, Lauren."

"Marcus." she grimaced, hoping Michael wouldn't pick up on her uneasiness but knowing instinctively that he would. They never should have come here. Marcus Reynolds was just one of the many, many mistakes she'd made in the past and Lauren wasn't entirely sure she was ready for Michael to find out about that part of her life. She wished they were back in New Orleans, where new beginnings seemed possible and the past was a distant memory.

"Come on, Michael. Let's find our table. I'm starved."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Dinner was awkward, but reasonably uneventful. Lauren had surprised him by asking one of the waiters if they could be seated at a different table than the one they had been assigned to. He had never been one to promote stereotypes, especially since he himself had been branded as a freak back when he was in high school. But glancing around their table, it was painfully obvious that they were sitting with the geeks. Michael wanted to ask her why she didn't want to sit with her friends, but they hadn't had a moment alone since being seated at their new table.

He was also anxious to find out what that little exchange between her and Marcus was all about.

"I'm just going to powder my nose." Lauren announced, interrupting his thoughts. He hadn't even noticed her get up from the table.

"I'll come with you." he declared, already starting to stand.

"You're going to come to the washroom with me?" she asked, smiling at him in amusement.

"I want to talk to you about something." he explained, taking her hand in his. She looked up at him worriedly, her smile fading.

"Okay." she replied softly, lacing her fingers through his as they walked out of the crowded ball room hand in hand.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"So," he sighed, turning to face her when they were finally alone in the relatively empty hallway. "Marcus?"

"It's a long story, Michael." Lauren explained dismissively, refusing to meet his gaze. "And not one I particularly like to tell."

"You slept together." he said. It wasn't a question.

"Just once," she replied truthfully, still not looking at him. "It was a mistake. One of many."

"And I take it Teresa doesn't know?" he inquired, not the least bit surprised when she shook her head 'no'. What did surprise him were the tears he saw in her eyes when she finally raised her head to meet his curious gaze. "Hey," he cooed softly, reaching out to cup her cheek. "What's wrong?"

"I just…" she stuttered, trying not to cry and failing miserably. "I just didn't want you to have to know about that part of my past. I'm not exactly proud of what I did."

"Lauren." Michael sighed, gently stroking her face as he gazed into her eyes reassuringly. "This is me you're talking to, remember? I know better than anyone that you can't hold someone's past mistakes against them."

"Michael…" she started to protest, but he cut her off.

"You never judged me because of my past, what makes you think I'd judge you?" he wondered, a little hurt to know she thought so little of him.

"I'm not an idiot, Michael." she bit out angrily, swatting his hand away from her face. "No guy wants to be with someone who's been ridden like the town bike."

"Lauren," he growled, grabbing her by the arm and pulling her up against him. "I could never think that about you, do you hear me? _Never_." he swore to her vehemently, desperately trying to erase her insecurities before they consumed her. She was crying again, shuddering in his arms as sobs wracked her body.

"I'm sorry." she whispered, but he wasn't entirely sure what she was apologizing for.

"It's okay," he replied soothingly, running his fingers through her hair as he held her close. "It doesn't matter."

"Yes it does." she argued, her voice muffled by his shirt as her face remained burrowed in the crook of his neck. "You can say it doesn't, but it does." The self loathing in her voice tore at his heart and he held her a little tighter, wishing he knew what to say to make her stop hurting. How could he make her see that none of it mattered? He didn't care if she'd slept with every damn guy in her school! She was his now, and that's all that mattered.

"I hate myself sometimes." she whispered, so softly that he wasn't sure she had said anything at all. The admission broke his heart, and he was determined to mend hers.

"That's okay." Michael replied after a few minutes of silence. He leaned back slightly and cupped her tear stained face in his hands. "I'll love you enough for the both of us."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Lauren!" Someone shrieked as she walked back into the crowded ball room. She had spent the last ten minutes in the washroom re-doing her makeup so that nobody would be able to tell she'd just finished crying her eyes out.

"Hey, Claire." Lauren said, silently congratulating herself for managing to remember the blonde's name. She had no idea why people who she'd barely said two words to over the past four years were suddenly so determined to talk to her tonight. Didn't they know she couldn't care less about any of them?

"Where have you been?" Claire asked anxiously. "We've been looking all over for you!"

"We?" Lauren asked in confusion, hoping to God there wasn't more of them.

"The other girls who were nominated," she explained, rolling her eyes at Lauren's lack of enthusiasm. "For prom queen! They're about to announce the winner. Come on!"

"Claire, wait. I don't…" she barely had the words out of her mouth before the other girl had dragged her up onto the stage. Lauren blinked frantically as she glanced out at the crowd, using her hand to try and shield her eyes from the spotlights. She instantly spotted Michael standing off to the side near the punch bowl. He smiled at her warmly, lifting his glass in salute.

"Good luck, girls!" Claire said enthusiastically, grinning from ear to ear at her competition. Lauren tried to remember if the blonde had always been this goddamn perky.

"Alright everyone, can I have your attention please!" The noise in the room lowered significantly and all eyes focused on the stage, on the five girls eagerly waiting to find out if they would be awarded the coveted title of prom queen. Well, four girls anyway. Lauren could care less. She turned her attention back to Michael. Their eyes met instantly and it was like no one else in the room even existed. "It's time to crown this year's prom king and queen!"

"Help me." Lauren mouthed silently, grinning when she saw Michael chuckle in response. Mrs. Fernley, the school's vice principal, stood in front of the microphone. She held two gold envelopes in her hand and a diamond tiara in the other. Lauren inwardly cringed. Why had this all seemed so important to her before? Before Detroit. Before Michael. Before she knew what it was like to be loved by a man who already treated her like a queen, even if her crown was broken.

"Without further ado, the girl who earned the most votes in this year's race for prom queen is…." Mrs. Fernley paused for affect, slowly opening the envelope even though she already knew the results since she'd sealed them herself.

"Lauren Fenmore!" She barely had time to register that her name had been called before Claire and the other three girls swarmed her in a group hug.

"Congratulations, Lauren!" one of them squealed.

"I knew you would win. I mean, how could you not!" cried another.

Lauren was baffled. She knew she had a reputation for being one of the popular girls, but she hadn't expected to win. In fact, she didn't know how she'd managed to earn a single vote in a school full of people she either ignored or bullied.

"Alright ladies, off the stage." Mrs. Fernley instructed them. The other girls dutifully began walking back down the stairs, with Lauren following close behind them.

"Not you, silly." The older woman chuckled, grabbing Lauren by the arm and leading her back towards the centre of the stage. "You need your crown."

Lauren sighed in resignation, standing perfectly still and allowing the vice principal to place the sparkling tiara atop her head. She looked out at the crowd with disinterest, searching for the familiar pair of chocolate brown eyes that would set her soul at ease.. She gasped when she finally saw him. He was staring back at her, pride clearly written all over his gorgeous face. He smiled at her warmly and without hesitation, she smiled back.

The crowd started cheering as Mrs. Fernley handed Lauren a large bouquet of red roses and stepped aside to let the teen enjoy her moment in the spotlight. Her gaze was still focused solely on Michael, but she looked up at the ceiling when a bucket of confetti was poured over her head. She was expecting pig's blood.

"And what's a queen without her king?" Mrs. Fernley continued, opening the second envelope and announcing the results. "After calculating all of the votes, I am pleased to announce that this year's prom king is none other than our very own rockstar, Danny Romalotti!"

Lauren's eyes widened in terror. Oh God, no. Please don't let him be here. Please don't let this be happening. This is _not _happening!

"Hey, babe." The familiar voice of her ex-boyfriend rang out as he leapt onto the stage and slipped his arm around her waist. "Long time no see."

Look at Michael, Lauren instructed herself desperately. Just focus on Michael and pretend Danny isn't here. It's Michael's arm around your waist, not _his_. Michael's breath assaulting your skin, not _his_. Just focus on Michael and try not to scream.

"Let's have a round of applause for this year's king and queen!" Mrs. Fernley proclaimed and the crowd cheered, screaming their names and encouraging them to kiss. Luckily the DJ chose that exact moment to begin playing the next song. The song she and Danny were supposed to dance to. _Together_.

"They're playing our song." he whispered lasciviously, his breath smelt like booze as it hit her face. She turned to look at him and noticed that his eyes were glazed over, his speech slightly slurred. Danny was drunk. And touching her. He was touching her like he did that day in her bedroom and all of a sudden it was too much. Everything came flooding back to her. The way he had pinned her up against the wall, his knee shoved hard between her legs as she pleaded with him to stop…

"Get away from me!" she screamed, startling Danny and everyone else in the room as she pushed him away. "Don't touch me, don't you _ever fucking _touch me again!"

"Lauren!" Mrs. Fernley gasped, shocked by her language.

"Stop being such a little bitch." Danny snarled, reaching out to grab her arm. He never saw it coming as Michael leapt onto the stage and began pounding his fists into Danny's startled face.

"Michael!" Lauren shrieked, trying to pull him off of Danny before he beat him half to death. "Michael, stop! He's not worth it."

"Quick! Someone call security!" Mrs. Fernley screamed in horror while the other kids in the room cheered them on. Danny was fighting back now, his knee connected with Michael's stomach and he doubled over in pain.

"Not so tough now, are ya?" Danny taunted, swiping his hand across his lips to wipe away the blood that had pooled there. Michael had broken his nose.

"I'm gonna kill you, Romalotti." he sneered, glaring at the wannabe rockstar in pure, unadulterated rage. Lauren moved to wrap her arm around Michael's shoulder, trying to get him to focus on her and not Danny.

"Awww, how noble of you to defend her honor." Danny said, grinning sarcastically. "Too bad she's a slut! We've all had a piece, haven't we boys?" No one else in the room said a room. Apparently none of her ex-lovers were willing to risk having Michael unleash his rage on them as well. He was just about to pummel Danny again when two security guards worked their way through the crowd and came to stand between the two feuding men.

"What's going on here?" The taller guard demanded to know.

"This guy just attacked me for no reason!" Danny chimed in first, pointing towards Michael who was still trying to catch his breath. "And he doesn't go to this school, he shouldn't even be here."

"Is that true?" the guard asked, turning his attention to Michael.

"I…"

"He's my guest." Lauren interrupted, moving to stand in front of the security officer to draw his attention away from Michael. "And I do believe that Mr. Romalotti has violated our school's policy regarding intoxication. Check his coat pocket, there's probably a mickey in there." The man looked at her suspiciously as his partner moved to search through Danny's pockets.

"Jesus, I can smell the booze on him from here." he exclaimed, reaching inside Danny's coat and pulling out a silver flask. He opened the lid and took a whiff, determining that it did indeed contain alcohol. He nodded to the other guard who grabbed Danny by the arm and began dragging him down off the stage.

"Alright, kid. You're outta here."

"What?! You can't throw me out. Do you know who I am?!" Danny screamed in righteous indignation.

"Give it a rest, kid. You know the rules." One of the guards informed him dismissively as the continued leading him out of the ball room.

"You fucking whore!" Danny yelled, glaring at Lauren before he was dragged through the open doors. "This isn't over, bitch! You're gonna pay for this. No one makes a fool out of me!" And with that he was finally, blissfully _gone_.

"Hey." Michael said, reaching out to take her hand in his. "You okay?"

"Yeah." she replied softly, turning to face him "You?"

"I'll live." he grinned, bringing her hand up to his lips and kissing it gently.

"Well, that was quite the show." Mrs. Fernley interrupted them, disapproval evident in her gaze. "Completely unacceptable."

"We'll leave if you want." Lauren offered, anxious to get away from the prying eyes of her peers.

"Nonsense." Mrs. Fernley said, waving her hand in the air dismissively. "What kind of person would I be if I kicked the prom queen out of her own prom, huh? Besides," She turned her attention towards Michael, offering him a warm smile. "I would have slugged him too if you hadn't gotten to him first."

"Thanks." Lauren replied. She still wanted to leave, but was grateful to the older woman for giving her the option of staying.

"Don't mention it." Mrs. Fernley smiled before turning her attention to the crowd of onlookers. "Alright everyone, show's over. Now back to our scheduled programming. DJ, please start that last song over again. It's time for the prom king and queen to share their first dance together."

"But Danny's…" Lauren began to state the obvious when the older woman interrupted her.

"After his appalling behavior, Mr. Romalotti has officially been dethroned." she declared, glancing between Michael and Lauren expectantly. "I assume you'll be able to find a suitable replacement?"

"Oh, he's more than suitable." Lauren grinned, gazing at her white knight in wrinkled Armani and borrowed shoes.

"Good." Mrs. Fernley replied, satisfied that everything had been settled. She returned to the microphone and instructed everyone to: "Clear the dance floor!"

"Come on, my queen." Michael whispered, holding out his arm to her in invitation. "Let's show 'em how it's done." And with that, she allowed him to lead her out onto the now empty dance floor. She knew that all eyes were on them, but she didn't care. Michael slowly wrapped his arm around her waist, his other hand grabbing hold of hers and lacing their fingers together as they began swaying to the music. Her gaze met his, and the rest of the world just faded away.

_Till now, I always got by on my own_

_I never really cared until I met you_

"It's our song." Michael whispered in her ear as he pulled her close, running his hand up and down her back to try and erase the memory of Danny's touch.

"What about Journey?" Lauren teased, burying her face in the crook of his neck.

"Oh don't worry, I'll never stop believing." he assured her jokingly. "But I've come to a realization since then."

"What's that?" she asked curiously, lifting her head to look at him.

"I 'Heart' you." he declared, letting go of her hand momentarily to trace the shape of a heart over his chest.

"Oh, God." she groaned, rolling her eyes at his corniness. He gave her a lop-sided grin before pulling her close once more. She laid her head down against his broad shoulder, both arms wrapped tightly around his waist. There wasn't a sliver of space between them, but it still wasn't close enough. Lauren wanted to crawl inside of him until she couldn't tell where he ended and she began.

They stayed that way, clinging to each other for dear life through the entire song. And the next one, and the one after that. Lauren could tell that other couples had joined them on the dance floor, but she didn't both looking up to check. She was perfectly content to spend the rest of the evening wrapped in Michael's arms, breathing in his scent with every inhale and exhale she took against his heated skin.

Her eyes were closed, and so she didn't see the man approaching them until she felt the tap on her shoulder.

"Excuse me, Miss Fenmore?" The maitradee asked, clearing his throat to get their attention. Reluctantly, the two teens stopped dancing and pulled apart.

"Yes." Lauren responded impatiently, glaring at the little man for breaking the spell she and Michael had been under.

"Sorry to interrupt, but your father is outside and he would like to speak with you."

"About what?" Lauren asked suspiciously, wondering why on earth her father would show up at her prom.

"He didn't say. Only that it was urgent." And with that, the maitradee turned and left the room.

"I wonder what your dad wants?" Michael wondered out loud, looking just as confused as she felt.

"Well, there's only one way to find out." Lauren declared, glancing towards the front doors. Whatever her father had to say, it better be good.

"Hang on. Just let me get my suit jacket and I'll go with you." he offered, already heading back towards their table to retrieve the jacket off the back of his chair. Lauren noticed the way he was limping slightly, the fight with Danny must have hurt him more than he was letting on. She followed him to the table and placed a hand on his shoulder to still his movements as he began to put his jacket on.

"Why don't you stay here and rest for a bit?" She suggested, offering him a warm smile. "I'll only be a minute."

"I'm fine." he argued.

"I know you are, but I want you to be well rested for the after party." Lauren said suggestively.

"After party?" Michael repeated, intrigued by the glint in her eye. "We're going to an after party."

"Mmhmm." Lauren replied, stepping forward so that she could run her hands up and down his chest before wrapping her arms around his neck. "Don't worry, it's a very short and exclusive guest list."

"Am I on it?" he asked hopefully, leaning forward nuzzle her nose with his much larger one.

"You and only you." she assured him, placing gentle kisses along his jaw line. "And me of course."

"Of course." he chuckled, dragging his hands along the length of her arms as she stepped back and began moving away from him.

"I'd better go and see what daddy wants." Lauren declared, sighing dramatically as she began walking backwards towards the door. "I'll be right back."

And with that, she was gone.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Lauren stepped outside into the nearly deserted parking lot, glancing around in search of her father's car. It wasn't there. Not the BMW or the Mercedes Benz. Her father was nowhere to be seen. She was about to walk back inside and give the maitradee a piece of her mind, when she noticed a dark figure seated on a wooden bench inside the hotels garden area. Figuring that she should first check to see if it was her father seated on the rickety old bench before she jumped down the maitradee's throat, Lauren started walking towards the garden.

"Daddy?" she called out as she got closer. The figure on the bench hadn't moved. "Daddy is that you?" As she drew even closer, Lauren stopped dead in her tracks when she realized that the figure on the bench wasn't a person at all, but rather a bag of leaves that one of the hotel employees must have left on the bench after raking them up.

Shaking her head in amusement, Lauren turned and started walking back towards the hotel. Before she knew what was happening, someone grabbed her from behind and covered her mouth with a rag that smelled suspiciously like chloroform. Lauren's final thought before the darkness consumed her was that their after party guest list just got even smaller.


	18. Chapter Seventeen

-1Chapter Seventeen:

"So then I thought to myself, why not just go to law school? I mean, I've always been really good at following rules and making sure others do as well. This one time when I was about, oh I dunno, six or seven maybe? A bunch of the kids in my class were planning a nasty prank to pull on our teacher, Mrs. Ferguson. Well, of course I wanted no part of it. And when Sally Benson told me that they were going to stick pieces of chalk in all of the erasers, I immediately went and told the teacher what they were up to." The blonde continued to drone on, smiling to herself victoriously. "They were all punished accordingly."

"That's…" Michael searched for the right word, making sure the sarcasm in his voice was clearly evident. "Fascinating."

"Then there was the time I discovered that some of the other students in my class had cheated on their midterms!" she exclaimed, her blue eyes gleaming with pride. "I walked right into the principal's office and…"

"Look, uh, what did you say your name was again?" Michael interrupted, knowing that if he sat there and listened to one more of her sickening tales of morality he may just have to shoot himself.

Or her.

"Christine." she replied, grinning self-assuredly.

"Well it's been a pleasure, Christine." he lied because it was the polite thing to do. "But I really should go and see what's keeping Lauren."

"Oh, she's probably just outside smoking a joint or something." Christine said dismissively, her eyes widening in excitement as she remembered something. Michael felt another story coming on. "Ya know, I caught Lauren and her friends getting high in the parking lot at school once." she whispered, crossing her arms in front of her chest triumphantly. "Vice principal Fernley was _not _happy."

"Well, it sounds like Walnut Grove High is lucky to have someone like you fighting crime and sacrificing her own social life in order to keep all the pot smoking, chalk tampering, cheaters in line." Christine's smile faded and Michael could tell she hadn't missed the sarcasm in his voice that time. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go check on my girlfriend."

Michael stood up from the table and downed the rest of his punch in one gulp. He had a feeling it may have been spiked and he chuckled to himself quietly, wondering how long it would take Christine to figure it out and alert the proper authorities. Placing his now empty glass on the table, he offered the blonde a forced smile before turning and walking towards the door.

He glanced down at his watch for the umpteenth time since Lauren had left to go and speak with her father. Twenty minutes. Twenty long, agonizing minutes since she had left and he had been stuck making small talk with one of the most annoying girls he had ever met. Lauren better have a damn good excuse for putting me through _that_, Michael mused to himself as he maneuvered his way through the busy hotel foyer.

Stepping outside into the humid night air, Michael glanced around the nearly deserted parking lot. There was a group of kids from prom smoking by the hotel garden and an elderly lady was walking her dog down the sidewalk to his left. But other than that, Michael couldn't make out any other discernable signs of life. Lauren and her father were nowhere to be seen.

Puzzled, Michael walked around to the side of the hotel thinking that maybe Neil had parked his car around back. But as he entered the dark alleyway, he saw that it was empty too. He was about to turn around and go back when something caught his eye. There was something on the ground near one of the hotel's big green garbage cans, the light from a nearby street lamp reflecting off its shiny surface. Michael slowly made his way closer to get a better look. He crouched down on the ground, his stomach twisting in knots when he realized what it was.

A crown. Lauren's crown.

And in that instant, Michael knew that something was terribly, horribly wrong.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Where is she? Where's my daughter?" Neil bellowed as he pushed through the heavy metal doors and entered the crowded hotel foyer. There were police everywhere, some interviewing students while others canvassed the parking lot looking for clues.

"Mr. Fenmore," an elderly woman in an expensive looking suit approached him and he recognized her as the school's vice principal. "I am so sorry…"

"How could this happen?' Neil interrupted her, he wasn't in the mood for excuses. "I thought the school hired extra security?"

"We did, but they were busy taking care of another matter." Mrs. Fernley explained, guilt and concern written all over her wrinkled face. Neil was about to blast her for not making student safety her top priority, when all of a sudden he saw someone approaching out of the corner of his eye.

"I don't…I don't know where she is. She was supposed to be outside."

"Michael…" Neil sighed, placing his hand on the shoulder of the only other person in the room whose fear matched his own.

"She was supposed to be with you," Michael continued to explain and Neil wondered if the distraught young man even knew he was there. "The concierge said she was going to speak to you."

"Has he been questioned by the police?" Neil asked hopefully. "Maybe he knows who took her."

"I should have gone with her." Michael went on, completely unresponsive. "This is all my fault…"

"Shut up!" Neil ordered, his voice raising significantly. Michael blinked up at him in shock, obviously suprised by his outburst. "I'm sorry, son. But you need to shut up and listen to me, okay?" the young man slowly nodded his head in comprehension."Good. Now just tell me exactly what happened and maybe if we put our heads together we can figure out who took her."

"Everything was going fine," Michael began recounting his version of events. "We ate dinner and then Lauren…Lauren was voted prom queen." He smiled at that, but it quickly faded when a look of angry realization crossed his face.

"What?" Neil asked in confusion. "Michael, what is it?"

"Romalotti." He hissed, eyes glaring with uncontrolled rage.

"Daniel?" Neil surmised. "You think he had something to do with this?"

"We got in a fight and he threatened her. The asshole threatened her right in front of everyone." Michael explained, his voice raising considerably. "I swear to God, if he hurts her I'll fucking kill him!" As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Neil could tell he regretted them. He almost chuckled at the look on Michael's face at realizing he had just cursed in front of his girlfriend's father. "Sorry."

"Don't be." Neil replied dismissively. "If that little shit has my baby girl, I'll kill him myself."

"Where would he have taken her?" Michael wondered out loud.

"I'll ask around," Neil declared, already scanning the crowd for anyone he recognized as being one of Danny's friends. "Someone here might know where he is."

"Good idea." Michael agreed, moving to confront the students himself.

"Wait." Neil said, placing a hand on the boy's shoulder to halt his movements. "I'll take care of things on this end, you need to go home."

"No." Michael replied defiantly. "I need to do this, I need to find Lauren."

"And we will. But right now someone needs to be at home in case anyone calls." Neil declared rationally. If it was Danny who had taken Lauren he doubted the little prick would be making any ransom calls, but it was better to be safe then sorry. "And I had to leave Kevin on his own," he added, knowing that concern for his little brother may be the only thing powerful enough to convince Michael to leave. "He needs you right now."

"Okay." The younger man agreed, although reluctantly. "But you'll call me as soon as you hear anything?"

"Of course." Neil assured him. Michael nodded, turning to leave. "And, Michael?"

"Yeah?" Michael responded, turning around to face him once more.

"We _will _find her." Neil promised.

We have to.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Mikey?" The sound of his little brother's voice interrupted Michael's troubled thoughts. He looked up at Kevin, startled to realize that he had been sitting there in the living room for hours, staring at the phone as if willing it to ring. The little boy approached him cautiously. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Michael replied hoarsely, patting the couch cushion beside him in silent invitation. "I'm just worried about Lauren."

"Me too." Kevin agreed, sitting down beside his big brother on the spacious leather couch. When he had arrived back at the Fenmore estate nearly three hours earlier, Michael had been relieved to discover that Neil had already filled Kevin in on Lauren's disappearance. Michael had barely come to terms with it himself and he had been dreading the thought of having to tell his baby brother that she was gone. And that he had let it happen.

"Why would someone want to hurt Lauren?" Kevin asked in confusion, staring up at his brother with a childlike innocence that Michael was amazed he still possessed after everything he'd been through. "She's so nice."

"I dunno, buddy." Michael answered truthfully, already coming up with a plethora of torturous ways in which he was going to make Danny Romalotti suffer if he had so much as breathed on her. "There are bad people out there who just like to hurt good people I guess."

"Like my dad." Kevin replied, nodding his head in understanding.

"Yeah." he mumbled distractedly, a horrible thought crossing his mind at the mention of his stepfather. "Like Tom…"

"Michael?" bellowed a familiar voice from the hallway. It was Neil, and he sounded upset.

"We're in here!" Michael replied, standing up from the couch and glancing back at Kevin nervously. _Please don't let it be bad news_.

"Have there been any phone calls?" Neil asked immediately as he entered the room. Alone.

"None." Michael informed him regretfully. "What about you? Did you find Danny? Did he take her?"

"I found him alright, but he's not the one who took her."

"That's impossible!" Michael exclaimed, though he knew it wasn't. There _were_ other possibilities. Ones that Michael didn't want to think about. "I know it was him." _Please let it be him_.

"I finally managed to get one of the kids to tell me where he was." Neil explained, offering Michael a sad smile and he could tell the older man had been hoping it was Danny too. They could deal with Romalotti, but if someone else had her… If _he _had her… "Turns out he went to a house party about four blocks away from the hotel right after the altercation at prom." Neil continued, oblivious to the inner turmoil going on inside Michael's head. "He's been there ever since."

"But you don't know that for sure." Michael reasoned, desperate to hold onto the belief that Danny was behind all this because the alternative was too terrifying to even contemplate. "They could just be covering for him."

"I thought so too," Neil agreed, sitting down on the edge of the couch in exhaustion. "So I went to the party to see for myself if he was really there."

"Even if he was at the party, that doesn't mean he hasn't got her hidden away somewhere…"

"He was passed out cold, had been for hours." Neil declared resolutely, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "Danny didn't do this, Michael."

"Then who did?" Kevin asked timidly and both Michael and Neil turned to look at him in surprise, both having forgotten the little boy was still in the room.

"I don't know, kiddo." Neil replied, reaching out from his spot on the couch to ruffle Kevin's hair playfully. "But we're sure as heck gonna find out, aren't we Michael?"

"Yeah." he replied, offering the little boy a reassuring smile even though there was a voice in his head telling him that he already did know who had taken Lauren. And if he was right, they may never get her back.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

An hour later, the house was crawling with police officers. Having ruled Danny out as Lauren's kidnapper, Neil had determined that they needed to get the police involved. Michael had agreed, silently. In fact, he hadn't spoken a word since coming to the realization that Terrible Tom Fisher had kidnapped the woman he loved more than life.

What was there to say anyway? Gee, Mr. Fenmore. I'm really sorry to tell you this, but I'm pretty sure that it's my evil stepfather who has kidnapped your daughter and if he's as angry at me as I think he is, there's no telling what he might do to her.

So instead he kept quiet and prayed to God he was wrong.

But then the phone rang.

"Wait! Don't answer it." One of the police officers warned Neil when he reached out to grab the receiver. The three of them waited impatiently, Kevin glued to Michael's side on the couch as they held their breath and waited for the signal. The officer nodded and Neil immediately hit the speaker phone button.

"Hello?" Neil answered, trying to sound calm and failing miserably.

"Daddy!" Lauren sobbed, obviously relieved to hear her father's voice.

"Princess!" Neil cried out frantically. "Where are you? What's wrong?"

"I'm…" she started to say when all of a sudden they heard her gasp out in pain.

"Uh, uh. I don't think so." A menacing voice interrupted, one that Michael instantly recognized.

"Who is this?" Neil demanded to know. "What have you done to my daughter?"

"Chill out, Daddy Warbucks." he snarled. "I ain't done nothin to your precious baby girl. Yet."

"Tom," Michael hissed, ignoring Neil's look of shock at having finally identified the caller. "If you hurt her, I will kill you."

"Well, well. If it isn't my bastard stepson." Tom chuckled tauntingly. "I still don't know how you managed to snag yourself a hot little piece of ass like this one. I might just have to try her out for myself."

"Touch her and you're a dead man." Michael warned, his voice dripping with venom.

"Why are you doing this?" Neil interrupted, anxious to find a way to get his daughter back. "What do you want?"

"You know damn well what I want!" Tom hissed. Michael glanced down at the terrified little boy beside him and Kevin met his gaze, eyes wide with understanding. "You stole my kid, so now I'm stealing yours." Tom continued. "Not a nice feeling, is it?"

"This isn't about Kevin. You don't give a rat's ass about him!" Michael argued, holding his baby brother a little tighter when he heard him whimper softly. "You did this for money."

"Why, son. I'm hurt that you think so little of me." Tom replied, sarcasm clearly evident in his voice. "Of course, if you don't want to give me my son back , then I suppose we could settle this for a small monetary fee instead."

"How much?" Neil said gruffly.

"Hmm." Tom hesitated and Michael could picture the sick bastard calculating how much he thought Lauren's life was worth. "Ten million should cover it."

"Are you insane?" Neil gapped in astonishment. "I can't get my hands on that kind of cash right away."

"Well then, say goodbye to your little princess." Tom sneered, obviously frustrated by Neil's lack of co-operation. They could hear a small commotion in the background and Michael sat up straighter when he heard Lauren cry out in pain. "Any last words, sweetheart?"

"Michael?" she sobbed.

"I'm here, baby." he replied comfortingly, trying to keep his own tears at bay. "Just tell me where you are."

"I…" she started to say, then stopped and Michael could tell that Tom had threatened to hit her again if she gave away their location. "I love you, city boy." Lauren choked out, her voice trembling slightly. "And you were right, it's definitely not our scene."

"What?" Michael asked, confused by her odd choice of words. "Lauren, I don't…" The sound of the line disconnecting echoed through the crowded living room.

"Lauren!" Neil screamed out in desperation. "Damn it! Were you able to get a trace?"

"No." One of the police officers replied, shaking his head in frustration. "If you'd just been able to keep him on the line for five seconds longer…"

"Five seconds!" Neil bellowed angrily. "If anything happens to my daughter because you couldn't do your damn job…" his voice broke on a sob and he sat down on the couch, burying his face in his hands. A tense filled silence fell over the room then, nobody knowing what to do or say.

"What do we do now?" Kevin asked timidly, tears staining his cheeks that had started falling the minute he heard his father's voice.

"I have some money in an offshore account." Neil replied, his voice hoarse. "It might be enough."

"No, absolutely not." One of the police officers argued, shaking his head in disapproval. "I can't allow you to give into the ransom demands, Mr. Fenmore. You know that. Besides, we still don't know where he's taken her."

"But if he calls back…" Neil started to protest.

"If he calls back we'll do our best to keep him on the line longer so that we can get a trace. Until then, I just want everyone to sit tight. You won't be helping Lauren by making any rash decisions." With that, he took some of the other officers and left to go and run a background check on Tom Fisher. Michael was still seated on the couch, staring at the phone as if it held all the answers in the universe

"What are you thinking?" Kevin asked quietly. Michael shook his head, still staring off into space.

"I just can't get Lauren's words out of my head." Michael replied distractedly, lost in thought. "Just something about the way she said it." he continued, his brow furrowed in confusion. "I think she was trying to tell me something."

"Like what?" Neil questioned, anxious to hear any information that might help him get his daughter back. Michael dissected Lauren's words over and over again in his head. Why would she call him 'city boy'? And what did she mean by 'it's not our scene'? What's not our scene?

"Michael?" Neil prodded. "If you know something, tell me."

"Oh, God." his eyes widened in realization as the puzzle pieces finally fit together. A small smile spread across his face and he shook his head at Lauren's resourcefulness. "I know where she is." he exclaimed, standing up from the couch. "I know where he's taken her!"

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"I still think we should have told the authorities about this." Neil said worriedly. He and Michael were seated in a rental car outside of Moe's Tavern. After realizing what Lauren was trying to tell him, Michael had quietly explained to Neil where she was and how he had figured it out.

The 'city boy' comment was in reference to their song by Journey. That's how Michael realized that Tom had taken her back to Detroit. Then he remembered the bad luck they'd had on the two occasions when they'd tried out the bar scene, and that's when it had hit him. Tom was hiding out in his favourite bar, Moe's Tavern.

The same place where he and Lauren had shared their first kiss.

Leaving Kevin in the care of Neil's housekeeper, the two men had discreetly left the estate and hopped on the Fenmore jet. Now they were staked out in front of the closed bar, looking for any sign of life.

There was none.

"We can't risk it." Michael argued. "Tom has nothing to lose. If he thinks the police are onto him, there's no telling what he might do to Lauren."

"So then what do you propose we do?" Neil questioned. "Just barge in there, guns blazing?"

"You packing heat, sir?" Michael teased.

"It was a figure of speech." Neil replied gruffly, but Michael saw the hint of a smile on his face. "Seriously, though. What are we going to do?"

"Well, we've got the element of surprise in our favor." Michael reasoned. "Tom has no idea we're here."

"And we don't even know if _he's _here for sure." Neil pointed out.

"Oh, he's here alright." Michael said assuredly. "I can feel it."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Neil replied, opening the car door and stepping outside into the crisp night air. "Let's go get Lauren back."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Door's unlocked." Michael announced, slowly pulling open the back door of the pub.

"Wait!" Neil reached out to stop him. "Shouldn't we come up with a plan first?"

"Fine." Michael agree. "You get Lauren and I'll deal with Tom."

"No way." Neil argued. "I'm not letting you face off with that creep on your own."

"I know Tom." Michael reasoned. "I know what makes him tick."

"We don't need him to tick, we need him to give me my daughter back!" Neil hissed. Michael was about to respond when all of a sudden he heard what sounded like a cry come from somewhere inside the bar.

"Did you hear that?" he whispered. Neil shook his head "no", but then it happened again - louder this time.

"It's coming from inside." Neil surmised, already rushing through the open door. Michael followed closely behind him, squinting in the darkness to try and make out his surroundings. They were walking down a narrow hallway, closed doors on either side. Without hesitation, Neil grabbed hold of the door handle to his right and flung it open.

But it was nothing more than a supply closet.

Undeterred, they moved onto the next door. But this time, it was locked.

"Find something to pry it open with." Neil whispered.

"Like what?" Michael replied, his eyes frantically looking around for anything they could use to get the door open. To get to Lauren.

"Stand back." Neil hissed warningly. Michael did as he was told, moving away from the door as the older man took a few steps back before plowing forward and kicking the locked door open. When the dust settled, both men stepped into the dimly lit room and scanned the area for any trace of Lauren. And then they saw it. In the corner of the room, there was a chair. And in that chair sat the woman that both men loved more than life.

"Lauren!" Michael yelled out as he ran to her. She was bound and gagged, masking tape covered her mouth and both hands were tied behind her back. Tears of relief fell from her eyes as she gazed up at him in gratitude.

"Oh, sweetie." Michael cooed, reaching out to cup her cheek in his hand. "This may hurt a bit, okay?" She nodded and Michael quickly ripped the tape off her mouth.

"Michael!" Lauren gasped. "Quickly! You have to untie me, he'll be back any minute."

"Did he hurt you?" Neil called out from somewhere behind them.

"No, daddy." Lauren replied, though her black eye told a different story. "Not really."

"Alright, let's get out of here." Michael said, crouching down behind the chair as he worked on untying the rope from around her slender wrists.

"I wasn't sure if you'd figure out what I meant on the phone." Lauren laughed softly, rubbing her sore wrists once Michael had finished freeing them.

"I almost didn't," Michael exclaimed, grinning with pride as he helped her up. "That was a pretty neat trick, Ms. Fenmore. Maybe you should forget design school and work for the CIA instead?"

"Come on you two!" Neil hollered out from his spot near the door. "We can have our reunion later, let's get out of here before…"

"Before what?"

All three of them turned and looked towards the backdoor at the sound of Tom's voice.

"Where the hell do ya'll think you're goin?" He sneered, raising the gun he still held in his hand and aiming it at Michael and Lauren.

"We don't want any trouble." Neil said diplomatically, trying to draw his attention away from the two teens. "Just let us walk out of here and we can forget this ever happened."

"Bullshit!" Tom shouted. "You'll sick the feds on me the second I let you go."

"We won't!" Lauren protested. "I promise."

"Shut up!" he ordered, raising the gun and aiming directly at her head. "Just shut up."

"Tom." Michael said, his voice steady as he discreetly moved to stand in front of Lauren. "Let them go. This is between me and you, this has nothing to do with them…"

"Like hell it doesn't!" Tom argued, glaring at Michael in disgust. "You got nothin I want, boy. But Mr. Money Bags over here sure does." he turned his attention to Neil, the gun still aimed in Michael and Lauren's direction. "You got my money?"

"No." Neil replied nervously, his gaze darting between Lauren and the gun. "I told you, there wasn't enough time and I…"

"Wrong answer." Tom snarled, cocking the gun and pulling the trigger.

"No!" Michael screamed, jumping in front of Lauren and shielding her body as they fell to the ground. Neil took advantage of Tom's momentary distraction and tackled the smaller man to the floor. They wrestled for the gun, Tom trying to wedge himself out from underneath Neil's crushing weight when all of a sudden…

The gun went off.


	19. Chapter Eighteen

-1**Chapter Eighteen**

An eerie silence settled over the back room of the pub after the second gunshot went off. The seconds seemed to stretch into minutes as the dust settled and four lifeless bodies lay sprawled out on the concrete floor. Then all of a sudden…

There was movement.

"Are you alright?" Michael grunted as he gingerly lifted his body off of Lauren's.

"Yeah," she replied hoarsely. "I'm fine." Her hand shook as she ran her fingers through her hair, trying to get her breathing back under control. Michael reached out to cup her face in his hand, stroking her cheek in an effort to soothe her as well as himself. Lauren smiled up at him reassuringly, but in an instant, her smile faded.

"Michael!" she gasped, gently running her fingers along his shoulder. "You're bleeding."

"It's nothing." Michael assured her dismissively, placing his hand atop hers. "The bullet must've just nicked me." Just then the sound of someone groaning from across the room grabbed their attention. Both heads turned to see Tom and Neil lying in a pool of blood on the floor not ten feet away from them.

"Daddy!" Lauren screamed, quickly pulling herself up from the floor and running over to where her father lay sprawled out atop Fisher's lifeless body. She placed her hands on Neil's shoulders and gently rolled him off of the other man. He was covered in blood.

"Oh God, no." Lauren cried out, running her hands down the front of his blood soaked chest. Neil's eyes fluttered open slightly and she moved to grip his face in her hand. "Daddy!" she pleaded, shaking him gently. "Daddy come on, wake up."

"Princess?" he managed to choke out, his eyes trying desperately to focus on her.

"Yeah," Lauren smiled, temporarily relieved. "It's me."

"How badly is he hurt?" Michael asked, she hadn't even noticed that he had moved to crouch down beside her.

"I'm not sure," Lauren replied distractedly, moving to undue his blood stained shirt. "I need to check and see where he was hit."

"I'm fine." Neil interrupted, his voice hoarse. "It's not my blood."

"Are you sure?" Lauren asked hopefully, placing a hand on her father's shoulder to help him sit up.

"Yeah," Neil assured her, nodding his head towards Tom. "The idiot shot himself." Michael moved to stand above the body of his stepfather, crouching down to check his throat for a pulse. There was none.

"He's dead." Michael informed them unnecessarily. Lauren didn't miss the disappointment in his voice and she knew he had wanted to kill the bastard himself.

"Good riddance," Neil declared, moving to stand. "Are you two alright?"

"Yeah, daddy." Lauren assured him, wrapping her arm around his waist for support. "We're fine."

"Good." he sighed, then all of a sudden his face contorted into a grimace of pain.

"Daddy?" Lauren asked, concern clearly written all over her face as Neil doubled over in pain. "Daddy, what is it? What's wrong?"

"I'm not sure," Neil managed to choke out through gritted teeth, his breathing grew strained as he clutched at his chest in discomfort. "I think…I think I'm having a heart attack."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

_Detroit General Hospital_

Neil's condition had worsened during the short ambulance ride to the hospital. By the time they arrived in the emergency room, he was in full cardiac arrest. Lauren had ridden along in the ambulance with her father, while Michael followed closely behind in a police squad car. Now they both sat huddled together in the brightly lit waiting room, anxiously awaiting a status report from one of the doctors as to whether or not the surgery had been successful.

"Do you want me to get you a cup of coffee or something?" Michael offered, running his hand up and down her back comfortingly. She shook her head, face still buried in her hands as she sat huddled over in the uncomfortable plastic chair. She hadn't said a word since Neil had been wheeled into surgery and Michael worried that if her father didn't pull through this, she may never speak again.

"He's going to be fine, Lauren." Michael assured her, although he was in no position to be making assurances he had no control over. "I promise."

"Miss Fenmore?" A man approached them wearing a white lab coat and Michael surmised that he must be the surgeon who operated on Lauren's father. She quickly rose from her seat and stood to face the taller man. Michael followed suit.

"Yes?" she responded, her voice hoarse from not speaking. Michael reached out and clutched her hand in his, lacing their fingers together as he silently offered her support. She squeezed his hand in gratitude as they anxiously waited to hear what the doctor had to say.

"I'm afraid I have some good news and some bad news," Doctor Scranton began and Michael felt Lauren tense up beside him. "Good news is that the surgery was a success, though we encountered some unforeseen complications during the operation. But all in all I'm confident that Mr. Fenmore will be able to make a full recovery."

"Thank God." Lauren sighed in relief, turning to smile at Michael briefly before turning her attention back to Dr. Scranton. "What's the bad news?"

"The surgery was very taxing on your father's immune system and his recovery is going to take time. He'll be in constant need of medical care over the next few months and physical therapy is required in order for him to make a complete recovery." Dr. Scranton declared, smiling at her compassionately. "Now, I can suggest the name of a highly reputable medical facility in Wisconsin that offers the services of live-in nurses and…"

"No." Lauren interrupted, shaking her head dismissively. "I'll be taking care of him myself."

"Miss Fenmore," Dr. Scranton sighed, obviously having had this same conversation with other patient families in the past. "That's very considerate of you, but I'm not sure you understand just how excessive and time consuming caring for someone in your father's condition can be. It's best to leave it up to trained professionals. Besides, I'm sure your father wouldn't want to burden you with this."

"My father's health is not a burden." Lauren argued stubbornly and Michael was grateful not to be on the other end of the death stare currently aimed in Dr. Scranton's direction. "It's my fault that this happened, the least I can do is help him get better."

"If you insist." Dr. Scranton conceded, obviously dismayed by her decision. "I'll leave the number of that medical facility in your father's file, just in case you change your mind."

" I won't." she assured him, sounding far more confident than she felt. "Can I see him?"

"He's still unconscious, but you can go in for a few minutes." Dr. Scranton agreed, but he stopped them when Lauren began walking towards her father's room with Michael following closely behind. "Only one visitor in the room at a time for now though."

"But.." Lauren began to protest, but Michael cut her off.

"It's alright," he said quietly, smiling at her reassuringly. "I'll be right outside if you need me."

"Thanks." she sighed, squeezing his hand one last time before letting go and walking into her father's busy hospital room.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

_Three days later_

"Lauren!" Kevin squealed excitedly as he leapt into her waiting arms. She and Michael had returned home from Detroit early at her father's insistence that they "stop hovering and go enjoy the start of their summer break." Lauren had reluctantly agreed, but she insisted on flying coach and leaving him the private jet to use himself when he was released from the hospital in the next few days. So now she and Michael were back in Genoa City and they had the house to themselves for a while. Well, with the exception of the ecstatic little boy in Lauren's arms.

"Hey, buddy." she cooed, hugging him closer. "Did ya miss me?"

"Yes!" he exclaimed and Lauren chuckled. But then the little boy grew somber when he noticed the bruises on her face. "I'm really sorry that my daddy hurt you."

"It's okay," Lauren whispered, smiling at him reassuringly. "It's all over now."

"Where's Mr. Fenmore?" Kevin asked curiously when he noticed the older man hadn't entered the home with Lauren and Michael.

"Uh, he has to stay behind in Detroit for a little while longer." Lauren explained vaguely, not wanting to alarm the already guilt ridden child with news of her father's heart attack.

"What for?" Kevin asked suspiciously.

"Hey, why don't we order a pizza?" Michael interjected, trying to distract his precocious little brother. "I don't know about you, but I'm starved."

"Can we get extra cheese on it?" the little boy asked excitedly.

"Of course." Michael chuckled.

"Awesome!" Kevin exclaimed before bolting it into the kitchen. "I'll go get the takeout menu." As soon as he was out of earshot, Michael reached out and pulled Lauren into his embrace. She wrapped her arms around his neck and burrowed her face in his shirt as the tears she had tried desperately not to shed finally escaped.

"It's okay," Michael cooed softly, his lips pressed against her forehead as he ran his fingers through her hair. "You're safe now, I've got you."

"I was so scared," Lauren whispered, her voice catching on a sob. "I thought…I thought I was never going to see you again."

"Maybe that wouldn't be such a bad thing." Michael muttered under his breath.

"Wha…" Lauren pulled back slightly, looking up at him in disbelief. "What do you mean?"

"This is all my fault." he declared, a self-deprecating snarl on his lips. "If you'd never met me, Tom never would have kidnapped you and your father wouldn't be in the hospital right now recovering from a near fatal heart attack."

"Michael, don't…"

"Come on, Lauren. You know it's true." he continued, moving away from her and running a hand through his hair in frustration. "I mean look at you," he said hoarsely, motioning towards her black eye and tear stained face. "If it weren't for me, you'd be safe and happy…"

"Miserable, Michael." Lauren argued, shaking her head in disagreement. "I would be miserable and bored and lonely as hell if I didn't have you in my life."

"But at least you'd be safe…"

"I'm safe when I'm with you," Lauren declared passionately, moving to wrap her arms around him again. He turned his head to the side, refusing to meet her gaze. "None of this is your fault, do you hear me?" she grabbed his chin and forced him to look at her. "You saved me from Danny, you saved me from Tom and if you hadn't of called for the ambulance when you did, my father might be dead right now."

"Lauren," he sighed, ready to launch another argument.

"Look, I know how much you lawyer types get off on hearing yourselves speak," she teased, hoping to coax a smile out of him and succeeding. "But how about for once you just shut the hell up and accept the fact that I love you?"

"You really are a stubborn idiot, ya know that?" Michael grinned, cupping her face in his hand and gently stroking her cheek. "And I do not get off on hearing myself speak."

"Could have fooled me." she teased, chuckling softly against his lips as he leaned forward and kissed her.

"Ewwww! Get a room." Kevin squealed as he came running back into the room, pizza menu in hand.

"Isn't it passed your bedtime?" Michael asked, glaring at his little brother in irritation.

"No." Kevin declared stubbornly, reaching for the phone and holding it out to him. "Besides, I'm hungry and you said we could order a pizza, so start dialing."

"Yes, master." Michael agreed, grabbing the phone and menu out of Kevin's hand. "And in the meantime, I want you to go wash up and change into your pajamas."

"But I can't reach the light switch in the bathroom." the little boy sighed, pouting as he stood on his tip toes to demonstrate the inadequacy of his height.

"I'll help him." Lauren volunteered, smiling at Michael warmly as she took Kevin by the hand and led him up the stairs.

"And I want to see you in your pjs as well!" Michael called out after her teasingly, grinning to himself when he heard her mumble something about flannel pajamas and a face mask. He was still smiling as he glanced down at the takeout menu and prepared to dial the familiar number when all of a sudden, the phone began to ring.

"Lauren!" Michael called out questioningly. "Are you gonna get that?" She didn't answer, but Michael could hear the water running upstairs and surmised that she must be taking a shower. Shrugging, he lifted up the phone's receiver and brought it to his ear.

"Fenmore residence." Michael said in way of greeting.

"Hello, son."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Lauren?" She heard Michael call out to her tentatively from the hallway.

"I'm in here." she replied, stretching out atop her queen sized bed and waiting for him to join her. The three of them had polished off an extra large cheese pizza and settled in for the evening to watch a movie. Kevin had fallen asleep before the opening credits finished rolling, so Michael decided to carry him upstairs and tuck him into bed. Michael had been unusually quiet during dinner and Lauren was determined to help him out of his funk.

"Hey." he said, smiling at her warmly as he leaned against the doorframe to her bedroom.

"Hey yourself." she replied coyly, crossing her legs and exposing more of her thigh in the process. She was wearing flannel shorts and a loose fitting tank top. No bra.

"I thought you wanted to finish watching the rest of the movie?" Michael asked distractedly, eyes glued to her body.

"Nope." she answered dismissively, sitting up a little straighter and beckoning to him with the crook of her finger. "I thought we could find something else to do instead."

"You and your one tract mind." Michael chided her playfully, walking up to the foot of the bed and wrapping his hands around her ankles. She shrieked in surprise when he roughly pulled her down towards the edge of the bed so that her pelvic bone was pressed up against his groin. She shivered at the predatory look in his eyes.

"Michael." Lauren sighed, wrapping her legs around his waist and arching her back to try and ease the ache that had settled between her legs. He thrust against her and she whimpered in response, amazed by his ability to turn her on so much so quickly. She felt his hand gently stoking the inside of her thigh and she parted her legs even further, eager to feel his hands on her. He bent forward to burrow his face in the crook of her neck and she shuddered when he began placing open mouthed kisses along her collar bone. Suddenly she felt something hot and wet land on her skin and she realized he was crying.

"Michael?" she asked worriedly, cupping his face in her hands and pushing him off of her slightly so that she could look at him. "What is it? What's wrong?"

"Nothing." he said dismissively, offering her a reassuring smile but she wasn't buying it.

"Is this about Tom?" Lauren questioned, knowing that he was still feeling guilty about what had happened back in Detroit.

"No, this has nothing to do with him." Michael assured her, reaching out stroke her cheek reverently. "I just…I don't know how I'm ever gonna be able to let you go."

"Hey," she said softly, feeling her own eyes well up with tears as she reached up to brush his away. "Who says you're ever gonna have to let me go?"

"My father." Michael said simply, his hand still tracing delicate patterns along the soft skin at the nape of her neck. "He called when you were in the shower."

"What did he say?" Lauren asked, though she had a feeling she already knew the answer.

"Apparently all of the final paperwork with children's services has been completed and Lowell Baldwin is now officially Kevin's foster parent." Michael explained, rolling off of her slightly until he was laying on his back beside her, both of their legs dangling over the side of the bed lazily.

"Well, that's good news." Lauren said cheerfully. He didn't respond, so she shifted onto her side in order to look at him. "Isn't it?"

"I guess." he shrugged, rubbing the bridge of his nose in frustration. Lauren reached out to take his hand in hers, lacing their fingers together and placing gentle kisses on each of his knuckles.

"What else did your father say?" she asked, knowing there had to be more to it than that.

"He managed to pull some strings at a highly reputable law school down in New Orleans," he explained, sounding less than exuberant. "I have an interview with the Dean in two weeks."

"Michael, that's fantastic!" Lauren exclaimed, overjoyed that his dream of becoming a lawyer might finally be coming true.

"Yeah." he sighed and she felt him squeeze her hand a little tighter.

"Why aren't you excited about this?" Lauren asked in confusion. "I thought you wanted to go to law school."

"I did," Michael agreed, glancing up at her despairingly. "I do, it's just…Lowell's coming to pick us up in two days and I'm not ready to say goodbye to you." he explained, rubbing her ring finger wistfully. "I don't ever want to say goodbye to you again."

"Then we won't say goodbye," Lauren promised him, quickly reaching up to wipe away the tears that were threatening to spill down her cheeks. "At least not for long."

"What do you mean?" Michael asked in confusion.

"Well, I'll stay here and go to GCU for first year so that I can help my dad with his recovery," Lauren explained, a plan formulating in her head that she hoped they'd both be able to live with. "And then once he's better, I'll transfer out to the University of New Orleans to finish my degree."

"You'd do that for me?" he asked in disbelief.

"For _us_." she corrected him, grinning mischievously as she moved to straddle his lap. She laced her fingers through his and pinned his hands above his head. Leaning forward, she pressed her chest against his and whispered in his ear seductively. "I'll come and visit you over the summer."

"And on spring break?" Michael questioned playfully, nuzzling her nose with his.

"Christmas and Thanksgiving too." she promised, placing open mouthed kisses along his jaw line.

"Will you write?" he asked and she felt his hands reach around to cup her ass.

"Everyday." she swore, capturing his mouth with her own in a searing kiss. She ran her tongue along his plump lower lip, demanding entrance. As their mouths made love, Lauren reached down in between their bodies and began unbuckling his belt. Once she had it loosened, she slipped her fingers beneath the waistband of his pants and dragged them down passed his waist. Michael reached down and lifted Lauren's tank top over her head, moving to cup her breasts in his hands as they spilled free from their confines.

"Michael." she moaned, breaking their kiss as she arched her back and pressed her chest into his palms. Her nipples hardened beneath his touch and she ground her crotch against his erection, eliciting a strangled groan from his lips. In one quick move, Michael flipped them over so that Lauren was laying beneath him on the edge of the bed. He made quick work of the rest of their clothes, stripping out of his shirt and boxers before discarding her shorts and slowly pulling her panties down the length of her legs. Lauren sat up slightly, using her elbows to prop herself up as she gazed at him wantonly.

"We shouldn't be doing this." Michael said softly, though his body betrayed his words as Lauren watched his erection swell beneath her heated gaze.

"Why not?" she asked distractedly, licking her lips in anticipation.

"I promised your father…"

"You saved our lives, Michael." Lauren interrupted, not wanting to talk about her father when all she could think about was getting Michael inside her. "I think he'd make an exception."

"But…"

"Michael!" she bit out in frustration, reaching out to pull him down on top of her. "We don't have much time left together," she reminded him pleadingly, reaching up to cup his face in her hand when his expression grew somber. "So let's make the most of it, alright?" He didn't respond. Instead he leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers, his tongue slipping inside her mouth as she moaned in approval. She wrapped her arms around his neck as one of his hands slipped down between their bodies to test her arousal.

"Yesss." she hissed and arched her back to press herself against his hand. Lauren spread her thighs a little wider to accommodate his lightly callused fingers as they rubbed against her wet folds. She bit her lip and shuddered in pleasure as Michael found her clit and began stroking it firmly in tight little circles. Her hips bucked upwards, trying to draw his fingers inside of her to ease the ache pulsing between her legs. She could feel her orgasm building in the pit of her stomach and knew it wouldn't take much to push her over the edge.

"Now, Michael." Lauren gasped, her hands grabbing hold of his ass and pulling him down on top of her. "I need you in me now." He nodded his head distractedly and Lauren could tell he was close too as he positioned the tip of his penis at her entrance. Their eyes met as he thrust inside of her until he was completely sheathed.

"Perfect." he whispered in her ear, taking the sensitive lobe between his lips and sucking gently as he began pounding into her. She met him thrust for thrust, holding onto his ass and feeling the muscles there flex as he plunged deeper inside of her. Lauren was moaning uncontrollably now, she was so close to cumming that her toes had begun to curl. She could tell he was close too by the way his thrusts began to lose their rhythm. Desperate to bring her over the edge with him, Lauren shrieked in surprise when he grabbed hold of her thighs and moved to place her legs over his shoulders. The new position allowed him to move even deeper inside her tight entrance and after a few more frantic thrusts, she was cumming. Hard.

"Michael." she cried out his name as her muscles clenched around him, keeping him deep inside her as wave after wave of pleasure ran through her body. She barely had time to recover from her earth shattering orgasm when all of a sudden Michael pulled out of her completely and flipped her onto her stomach. Quickly getting over her momentary confusion, Lauren pulled herself up on all fours and pressed her face against the mattress. She heard Michael groan from behind her and knew he must be enjoying the view. Grinning to herself mischievously, she spread her legs a little wider in silent invitation. That was all it took and Michael grabbed hold of her slender hips and thrust back inside her still pulsing core.

"Fuck!" he hissed, pulling out of her completely before plunging back in. Lauren moaned in response, slamming her hips back against him each time he withdrew from her body. It felt so good to be taken by him like this, to know that he was completely lost in the throes of passion because of her. His body was bent over hers and with each thrust he grunted softly in her ear, the sound of his pleasure was driving her crazy. She was shocked to realize that she was close to cumming again and Michael must have sensed it too because he reached between her legs and began rubbing her clit insistently.

"Cum for me again, baby." he whispered in her ear, his hot breath assaulting her skin and that was all it took to send her careening into oblivion yet again. As she felt her inner walls contracting around him, Michael groaned out her name as he buried himself inside her to the hilt and came in a series of quick spurts. He collapsed on top of her, both of them completely spent. They stayed that way for a few minutes, enjoying the feel of their sweat soaked bodies pressed up against each other as they tried to get their breathing back under control.

"Are you okay?" Michael asked eventually as he rolled off of her and onto the bed, pulling her up against him as they inched their way closer to the head of the bed.

"Oh, I'm way more than okay." she chuckled in response, snuggling closer to him and throwing her leg over both of his as she reached over and covered their bodies with a sheet to ward off the chill.

"I hope we didn't wake Kevin up." Michael grinned, running his hands through her damp hair as he gazed down at her lovingly.

"Hell, I hope we didn't wake my neighbors up!" Lauren teased, leaning forward to press her lips against his chest. "That was amazing, Michael."

"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself, cuz I'm only getting started." he promised her suggestively and Lauren's eyes widened as she felt him harden against her.

"Michael Baldwin, you are positively insatiable." Lauren chided him playfully, already moving to straddle his lap.

"You better believe it," he declared, reaching up to cup her face in his hands. "We've got two days left together and I plan on spending every waking hour coming up with new ways to make you scream my name."

And, true to his word, Michael did just that.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

_Two Days Later…_

"No! I don't wanna go!" Kevin pleaded, stomping his feet defiantly as Michael tried to move passed him in order to open the door and let his father in.

"Kevin, stop it. We talked about this." Michael chided his younger brother, but the truth of the matter was he didn't want to leave any more than his little brother did. But at 19 years old, throwing a temper tantrum didn't seem like the most appropriate reaction.

"Can't we stay just a little while longer?" Kevin argued, looking up at Michael with tears in his eyes. "_Please?_"

"Hey, now come on." Lauren interjected, walking over to where they stood and bending down until she was at eye level with the little boy. "It's not like this is forever, I'll come down and visit you in New Orleans in a few weeks and you and your brother are welcome here anytime."

"Yeah, but it won't be the same." Kevin pouted, his lower lip protruding petulantly.

"No, it'll be even cooler because now you get to live in that big mansion." Lauren reminded him. "And when I come and visit in a few weeks, we'll go back to that ice cream parlor and try their one hundredth flavor, okay?"

"Promise?" Kevin asked, sounding unconvinced.

"Cross my heart." Lauren vowed, smiling at him warmly as she picked the little boy up in her arms and held him close. The doorbell rang again and Michael took a deep breath before unlocking the door and stepping aside to permit his father to enter.

"Well, hello boys." Lowell greeted Michael and Kevin in his southern drawl before bowing his head in Lauren's direction. "Miss. Fenmore."

"Hi, Mr. Baldwin." Lauren replied, offering him a warm smile even as her arms tightened around Kevin protectively.

"I spoke with your father and he informed me of the situation with Tom Fisher." Lowell declared, shaking his head in disgust when he noticed her black eye and split lower lip. "I'm so sorry you had to go through that."

"I'm fine," Lauren assured him dismissively. "I'm just glad it's all over."

"We all are." Lowell agreed, glancing between Michael and Kevin apprehensively. "I hate to have to cut things short, but the jet is already gassed up and ready to go. Are you boys all packed up?"

"Yeah," Michael answered, bending to lift his and Kevin's suitcases off the ground. "This is everything."

"Here, let me get those." Lowell offered, taking the two heaviest bags from him and heading towards the door. "Hey, Kevin. You want to give me a hand with these?" The little boy bit his lower lip and shook his head vehemently, his arms still clasped firmly around Lauren's neck. "Are you sure?" Lowell continued, trying to win the boy over. "I'm a really good tipper."

"How good?" Kevin asked, obviously intrigued.

"Hmmm, how does five dollars sound?" Lowell offered.

"Make it ten." the little boy demanded.

"Kevin!" Michael exclaimed, glaring at his brother disapprovingly.

"You drive a hard bargain, kid." Lowell chuckled, obviously impressed by Kevin's haggling skills. "Ten dollars it is."

"Cool!" he gasped in excitement. Kevin turned his attention back towards Lauren and hugged her tightly. "I love you, Laur. See you soon, okay?"

"Okay." Lauren grinned, allowing him to slide down her body and watching in amusement has he grabbed the last remaining suitcase and followed Lowell out the door.

"Dumped for a ten dollar tip," Lauren sighed dramatically, trying to appear wounded. "I think I'm insulted."

"Well, if it's any consolation, Lowell could offer me his entire life's fortune and it still wouldn't make leaving you any less difficult."

"You're not leaving me, remember?" Lauren said pleadingly, blinking away tears she was trying desperately not to shed. "This is just temporary."

"It doesn't feel temporary." he muttered under his breath, reaching out to take her hand in his. "These past few days have been incredible." he declared and she nodded in agreement. "Making love all night and waking up in your arms…" his voice trailed off and he saw a blush creep across Lauren's cheeks. He grinned at her mischievously, deciding to change the subject. "Baking chocolate chip cookies at three o'clock in the morning and watching WKRP in Cincinnati marathons."

"Your obsession with that show unnerves me." Lauren teased, smiling through her tears.

"'As God as my witness, I thought turkeys could fly!'" Michael quoted a line from one of the episodes that they had both found particularly funny and Lauren burst into a fit of giggles at the memory. Her laugh was infectious and Michael found himself chuckling right along with her.

"I'm gonna miss you so goddamn much." he declared sincerely once they had found their composure.

"I'm gonna miss you too." she replied, lacing her fingers through his.

"When will you come down to visit?" he asked for the umpteenth time, already knowing the answer but needing to hear her say the words again to reassure himself that he would be seeing her again and soon.

"As soon as my father's condition improves enough for him to be left on his own." she promised, smiling at him reassuringly.

"Okay." Michael nodded, trying to assure himself that he could handle being away from her for a few weeks. Afterall, it would just make their eventual reunion that much better.

A car horn honked from the driveway and they looked at each other despairingly.

"I should probably get going." Michael declared, motioning towards the open door.

"Yeah." Lauren agreed, walking him out.

"I'll call you as soon as we get settled in" he assured her, his hand still clasped tightly in hers as they stood in the doorway, gazing at each other through watery eyes.

"Okay." she nodded, her voice hoarse with unshed tears.

"I hate leaving you on your own like this." Michael declared worriedly.

"I'll be fine," she whispered, offering him a reassuring smile. "Lucretia's coming by later on, and daddy's flying home tomorrow night." she explained, her smile faltering slightly. "I'll be fine." Michael let go of her hand to reach out and wipe away her tears with the pad of his thumb. The gesture caused her bottom lip to start trembling as the flood gates opened and sobs wracked through her body uncontrollably. He gathered her up in his arms and held her close.

"Shhh, baby. It's gonna be alright." Michael cooed softly in her ear, running his hands up and down her back in an effort to comfort her as well as himself. "This isn't goodbye, remember? It's just temporary."

"Just temporary." she agreed, pulling away slightly to look at him. He cupped her face in his hands and bent forward to capture her mouth with his, kissing her with all the desperation of a man dying of thirst. Her lips parted beneath his eagerly and he slipped his tongue inside her mouth, desperately trying to memorize her taste and feel of her.

"I love you." he whispered fiercely when they parted. "So much."

"I love you too." she replied, standing on the tips of her toes to nuzzle her nose against his. The car horn honked again and they pulled apart reluctantly.

"I gotta go." Michael declared unnecessarily, already starting to walk away from her.

"Alright." she agreed, letting him go. "Call me!"

"I will!" he promised, walking backwards towards the driveway, not wanting to take his eyes off her until it was absolutely necessary.

"And good luck on your interview!" she called out once he reached the car door and held it open. He offered her a lopsided grin as he waved goodbye.

"See you soon!" he yelled, reluctantly getting into the car and closing the door behind him. Lauren stood in the doorway and watched as the black limousine backed out of the driveway and drove off down the street.

"Soon." she whispered resolutely, walking back inside the house and closing the door behind her.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

_One month later…_

"Now, you're absolutely certain that you feel up to this?" Lauren asked her father for the umpteenth time that morning. After more than four weeks of recovery and physical therapy, the doctor had given Neil the green light to resume some of his normal daily activities. He was even permitted to return to work, as long as he promised not to overdue it. Lauren had made him promise to work from home while she was out of town though and he had reluctantly agreed.

"Yes, I'm feeling fine. Better than fine actually." Neil assured her once more, placing his hand on the small of her back and ushering her towards the front door. "Now hurry up and get going or you'll miss your flight."

"If I didn't know any better, I would think you were trying to get rid of me." Lauren said suspiciously, knowing that her father was probably just as anxious for her to leave as she was. Neil had always been an extremely independent man and while he appreciated his daughter's help immensely, she knew he hated having anyone wait on him hand and foot. So her trip to New Orleans would be the first step to him regaining some of his independence.

"What on earth would give you that impression?" Neil said teasingly, unlocking the front door and flinging it open. They were both startled to find the mailman standing on the front stoop, poised to drop a stack of mail into the box.

"Good morning, Mr. Fenmore." The older man said in way of greeting. "You're looking well."

"Thank you, Robert." Neil replied pleasantly, flexing his muscles in exaggeration. "I feel like I could take on the world."

"Yeah, I don't think so." Lauren interrupted, glaring at her father in disapproval. "Robert, do me a favor and keep an eye on him for me while I'm gone?"

"Will do, Miss Fenmore." the mailman chuckled before reaching out to hand over the large stack of mail he still held in his hand. "While I'm here, I might as well hand deliver these to you."

"More bills I presume?" Neil said distractedly, already shifting through the stack of envelopes.

"Don't shoot the messenger." Robert joked, holding his hands up in mock surrender. "Take care, and have a safe trip, Miss Fenmore."

"Thanks." Lauren replied cheerfully before turning her attention back towards her father. "Okay, so the number for the Baldwin estate is on the fridge. If anything happens, anything at all, you call me, okay?"

"Okay." He agreed distractedly, his attention focused on a large white envelope he held in his hand. "Princess, hang on a sec. There's something here addressed to you."

"Who's it from?" Lauren asked curiously.

"The office of admissions at New York University." Neil replied, handing her the envelope. "I didn't know you applied to NYU?"

"I did it as a joke." Lauren shrugged nonchalantly. "No way would someone with my grades get accepted into NYU."

"Well, it seems awfully thick for a rejection letter." Neil surmised, watching as she glanced at the envelope nervously. "Aren't you going to open it?"

"I guess." she replied, taking a deep breath as she slowly began tearing open the top of the envelope. She stopped half way. "Maybe I should wait until I get back?"

"Just get it over with now, otherwise you'll be worrying about it all week." Neil warned her knowingly and she knew he was right. Tearing off the rest of the envelope, Lauren reached inside and pulled out the first document she got her hands on. She read through the letter, eyes growing wide with shock and disbelief as she re-read the first paragraph to make sure she wasn't seeing things.

"Well, what does it say?" Neil asked impatiently.

"I…I can't believe this." Lauren stuttered, handing her father the letter. "I got accepted. I actually got accepted."

"Honey, that's incredible!" Neil exclaimed, reading over the letter himself. "I am so proud of you. It says here that they were really impressed with some of the designs in your portfolio."

"I can't even remember which ones I submitted." Lauren admitted, still a little dazed by the news.

"I'm sure they were amazing." Neil assured her distractedly, turning the page over and reading what was printed on the back. "Oh."

"What?" Lauren asked worriedly, reaching out to take the letter back.

"Apparently you have until August 5th to get to New York and register for classes and residency." Neil explained to her regretfully.

"August 5th?!" Lauren exclaimed in disbelief, reading over the page to see the bad news for herself. "But that's….that's next week."

"Yeah." Neil sighed, offering her a sad smile.

"Well then, I can't go." Lauren declared resolutely, stuffing the letter back inside the envelope.

"Lauren…"

"I'm not canceling this trip, daddy." she argued, shaking her head defiantly.

"Sweetheart, this is an amazing opportunity for you." Neil reminded her pleadingly. "NYU has one of the most reputable fashion and design programs in the country."

"But it's a four year program." Lauren informed him, shaking her head in despair. "I can't…I can't be away from him for four years."

"Honey, trust me. The time will fly by, I promise." Neil assured her, placing his hand on her shoulder for support.

"I wish I could believe that." she muttered, knowing that it wasn't true. She had barely made it through the past month without him. Four years apart would be positively unbearable.

"Call Michael and tell him the good news." Neil insisted, motioning towards the phone in the living room. "If he loves you as much as I think he does, he'll understand."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"NYU?" Michael said in astonishment once she had filled him in on her news. "Wow, I…I had no idea you were thinking of going there."

"I'm not…I mean, I wasn't. Planning on going that is." Lauren sighed into the phone's receiver, hating how strained and awkward their conversation had become. They were both beating around the bush, trying to ignore the giant elephant that stood between them. "I don't know why I applied, I never thought I'd actually get accepted."

"You're an extremely talented designer, Lauren." Michael reminded her, pride evident in his voice. "I would have been shocked if they _hadn't_ accepted you."

"I just," she sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose in frustration. "I never thought…"

"This is an amazing opportunity for you." Michael declared, interrupting her strangled explanation.

"I know." she acknowledged.

"You'll be in your element living in New York," he mused and she could almost picture the wistful smile on his face. "All those fashion shows and trendy little cafes. Plus, think of all the shopping!"

"They have stores in New Orleans too." she said defiantly, effectively putting an end to his lousy attempt at humor.

"Lauren…"

"How can you be so nonchalant about this?" she accused, feeling her eyes well up with tears as her throat closed with emotion. "Four years, Michael. I'm going to be in New York for four years while you're miles away and all you can talk about is how much fun I'm going to have shopping?"

"I'm just trying to get you to look at the bigger picture." Michael said pleadingly. "You've just been accepted into a school that most kids dream about going to but never will. You get to move to an exciting new city where you'll make new friends and new memories." his voice trailed off and Lauren could swear she heard him sniffle. "This should be the most exciting time of your life and I don't want you to miss out on all of that because of me."

"I hate this." Lauren whined, plopping herself down on the couch and using the sleeve of her shirt to wipe away the tears that were now streaming down her face. "I want to be with you."

"I know. I want to be with you too, but maybe…" Michael paused, his voice growing hoarse with emotion. "Maybe this is for the best."

"How can you say that?" Lauren said accusingly, biting her bottom lip to keep it from trembling.

"My workload is going to be insane over the next few years." he explained regretfully but Lauren could hear the note of excitement in his voice and knew he was up to the challenge. "I doubt I'm going to have much in the way of free time."

"I guess you're right." Lauren sighed in resignation, realizing how selfish she was being. She knew how much being a lawyer meant to him and how anxious he was to go to law school. She was acting like her old self again. Making everything about her wants and her needs. She didn't want to be that person anymore. Michael had changed her and now the least she could do was repay the favor. If she made this about him, she could do it. If she convinced herself that she was going to New York so that he could realize _his _dreams, maybe then should could find the strength to walk away.

"When do you have to be in New York?" Michael asked suddenly, breaking the awkward silence that had settled over them.

"Next week at the latest," she replied, trying to mimic his nonchalance. "But I'll probably leave tomorrow."

"Yeah. You'll want to get there early to register for classes and stuff." Michael agreed.

"Right." Lauren replied simply because she couldn't think of anything else to say. Although, that wasn't entirely true. She could think of a million other things that she wanted to say, almost all of which involved her begging him not to let her go. But he had made up his mind and Lauren was determined to respect his wishes, even if it killed her. "When do you start school again?"

"In two weeks." Michael reminded her.

"I don't know if I'll be able to make it down there before then." she said regretfully, trying to come up with a plan to sneak away for a weekend to be with him before school started and their lives were torn apart.

"Don't worry about it, I know you've got a lot to do. Plus, I'm already swamped with prep work so it's probably best if you postpone your visit." Michael reasoned, the casual tone of his voice made Lauren's heartache. How could he be so calm and rational about this when she was dying inside?

"Yeah," she whispered hoarsely, trying to keep her voice level so that he wouldn't be able to tell the she was on the verge of bawling her eyes out. "You're right. It's probably for the best."

"I should probably get going, we don't want to run up your father's phone bill." Michael said teasingly, but it sounded forced. "I'm really happy for you, Lauren."

"Thanks." she responded, still trying not to cry.

"Be sure and give me your new phone number and address when you get settled in at your dorm." he instructed her, his words sounding rehearsed and insincere. "Maybe we can get together at Thanksgiving or something?"

"Yeah, that could work." she lied. It wouldn't work. She would spend the holidays with her family and he with his. There was no telling when they'd see each other again. _If _they'd see each other again.

"Michael?" she whispered, her voice catching on a sob.

"Yeah?" he replied.

"I…" _I love you. I need you. Please don't leave me. Please!_ "Nevermind."

"I'll see you soon, okay?" Michael assured her, honoring their vow to never say goodbye.

"Soon." Lauren replied, knowing in her heart that it wouldn't be soon enough.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

_Three months later…_

"Come on, Lauren. Quit being a hermit and come out with us for a change." The annoyingly perky voice of her blonde roommate interrupted Lauren's thoughts as she sat on her bed, surrounded by lecture notes and textbooks.

"I told you, I've got a lot of reading to catch up on." Lauren replied, not even bothering to look up from the page she had been reading.

"Bullshit." The blonde argued, pushing some papers out of the way and sitting down beside Lauren on the twin sized bed. "All you ever do is study, you can afford to cut loose for one night."

"Brooke…" Lauren sighed in frustration.

"Please come out tonight?" she begged, grabbing hold of Lauren's hand and squeezing. "_Please_? For me?"

"Why are you so desperate to get me to go out with you?" Lauren asked, removing her reading glasses and glaring at her roommate suspiciously.

"Why do you always assume that I have some ulterior motive?" Brooke said, feigning innocence. Lauren raised her eyebrow accusingly in response. "Okay, fine. There's this guy…"

"No." Lauren cut her off, shaking her head defiantly.

"Come on, Lauren." Brooke whined pleadingly. "I promise, you'll love him. He's perfect for you!"

"I told you, I already have a boyfriend." Lauren reminded her, though the word sounded foreign and inaccurate, even to her.

"Right." the blonde replied, rolling her eyes in annoyance. "The same 'boyfriend' who hasn't called or written you once since you've been here?"

"He's busy with school." Lauren said defensively, trying not to show how much Michael's lack of communication upset her. She had mailed him her new phone number and address like he had asked, then spent two weeks staring at the phone, willing it to ring. But he never called. It had been over two months since they'd last spoke and Lauren was beginning to wonder if she'd ever hear from him again.

"Too busy to pick up a phone every once in a while?" Brooke said knowingly, offering Lauren a sad smile. "I know it's hard, but long distance relationships never work out. Chances are, he's probably already moved on to someone else and I think it's about time you do too."

"Maybe you're right." Lauren whispered after a few moments of tense silence as she contemplated the other girl's words.

"Of course I'm right." Brooke said confidently. "I may not be at the head of my class, but I do know a thing or two when it comes to boys and relationships."

"That's an understatement." Lauren teased, ducking when her roomie moved to swat her over the head with a pillow. "So, tell me more about this guy."

"Well, his name is Scott and he is ridiculously gorgeous. Plus, he's in his second year of med school." Brooke exclaimed, practically salivating as she described the young man's attributes. "You two are totally gonna hit it off, I just know it!"

Lauren seriously doubted that, but she owed it to herself to at least get out of her dorm room for one night of fun. She couldn't very well sit around pining away for Michael the rest of her life. He seemed to forget about her easily enough.

Maybe it was time to finally say goodbye.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


	20. Chapter Nineteen

-1**Chapter Nineteen**

_Five years later…_

Pouring himself another cup of coffee, Michael sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose in frustration. He couldn't remember the last time he'd slept for more than twenty minutes at a time and his diet consisted of leftover pizza and whatever else he happened to find lying around the kitchen on the rare occasions when he would leave the study. His father had warned him that law school wouldn't be a walk in the park, but Michael had no idea that it would completely take over his life. And now that he was scheduled to take his bar exam tomorrow, Michael was desperately trying to remember everything he'd learned over the past five years. If he passed his exam tomorrow, at twenty four years old, he would be one of the youngest students in his school to pass the bar.

It had only taken him two years to earn his undergraduate degree in political science and he breezed through law school, successfully completing his program a year early by taking night and summer classes. Lowell was completely supportive of his son's academic career, taking pride in his accomplishments and financing his costly tuition fees. Their relationship was still rather strained and Lowell was constantly going out of town for weeks at a time on business, but for the most part, things were good.

Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, Michael plopped back down in front of his cluttered desk and flipped through a warn textbook on Contract Law. Highlighter in hand, he went to work memorizing anything and everything he suspected may appear on his exam the next day.

"Mr. Baldwin?" The familiar voice called out tentatively from somewhere behind him. Michael sighed in annoyance, removing his wire-rimmed glasses and placing them down on the desk.

"Yes, Rupert?"

"Sorry to disturb you," the older man apologized, slowly pushing open the heavy oak door and entering the room. "But there's a young lady here to see you."

"If it's Rachel, tell her I'm busy." Michael instructed the butler, turning his attention back to the page he had been reading.

"It's not Rachel." Rupert declared and something in his tone of voice made Michael turn around. He looked at the older man quizzically, urging him to continue. "She said it was imperative that she speak with you immediately."

"Where is she?" Michael sighed, standing up from his seat and book marking the page he was reviewing to return to it later.

"In the main living room, sir." Rupert replied, a small smile playing across his lips. Michael rolled his eyes at the older man's knowing look as he walked passed him and left the room to go and meet his mystery guest.

"This better be good."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

She was looking out the window when he entered the room, her back turned to him, obscuring her face. Michael took a moment to admire her figure, shapely legs encased in a pair of cream colored stockings that disappeared under her pale pink skirt that was just a tad too short, or not short enough. The matching blazer she wore clung to her slender waist as though the suit had been tailor made to fit her perfect frame. Her bleach blonde hair fell over her shoulders in carefree waves and Michael felt a familiar stirring in his pants. Pushing those thoughts out of his head, he cleared his throat to get her attention.

"You wanted to see me, Miss…?" Michael's breath caught in his throat when she turned around and he came face to face with the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

"Hello, Michael." she said softly, offering him a nervous smile that warmed his heart in a way it hadn't been in five long, lonely years.

"Lauren." he breathed, eyes wide with astonishment as he closed the distance between them in three quick strides. He had to fight the overwhelming urge to reach out and touch her, to reassure himself that she was really there and not just a figment of his sleep deprived imagination.

"I'm sorry to drop by unannounced like this, but…"

"Lauren." he said again, louder this time. More confident.

"Yes?" she replied, looking up at him warily. He reached out to touch her face, but she took a step back, moving out of his reach. It was like a slap in the face, which he supposed was what he deserved after everything he'd put her through.

"I'm sorry." he apologized, shoving his hands in his pockets and shifting his weight uncomfortably from foot to foot. She nodded, her gaze darting away from his as she moved passed him to sit on the edge of the couch.

"How have you been?" she asked and he had to smile at her lame attempt at making small talk.

"Good." he lied, because the truth would hurt too much. "Busy." he continued when she didn't respond. "School's been really hectic."

"I can imagine." she nodded, still not looking at him.

"How about you?" Michael asked, trying to keep the conversation going because the silence was deafening and unbearable. "Still living in the big apple?"

"No, I'm uh…I'm back home now." Lauren replied, growing agitated and crossing her legs defensively before changing the subject. "How's Kevin? Is he here?"

"No, he's still at school." Michael explained casually, smiling with pride. "He's doing really well. Even has a girlfriend if you can believe that."

"I guess he's gotten over his fear of cooties then." Lauren said teasingly, shaking her head in amusement.

"Oh yeah, he's a regular ladies man." Michael chuckled.

"Just like his big brother." Lauren grinned, her smile fading when she realized she was being presumptuous.

"Hardly." Michael said quietly, his gaze falling to the floor as an uncomfortable silence settled over them both.

"And your father?" Lauren said finally, her voice hoarse. "How are things with him?"

"Better," Michael replied, looking up to meet her gaze once more ."He's been great with Kevin and the three of us get along pretty well. He's always away on business though, you know how it is."

"Yeah." she replied softly, staring at her hands as they lay folded tightly in her lap.

"How's Neil?" Michael asked casually. "I bet he's happy to have you back home again." Lauren's breath hitched in response and Michael was caught off guard by the tears he saw in her eyes. She buried her face in her hands, shoulders quivering as sobs wracked through her body.

"Lauren?" he called out worriedly, moving to sit beside her on the couch. "Lauren, what is it? Did I say something wrong?"

"No." she whispered, her voice muffled by her hands. Michael tentatively placed a hand on her back, encouraged when she didn't flinch or pull away.

"What's wrong?" he repeated, waiting for her tears to subside. "Is it your father? Did something happen?"

"He's dead, Michael." Lauren managed to choke out, looking up at him through bloodshot eyes. "My father is dead."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

She didn't protest when he drew her into his arms and held her close. It was the first time she'd said the words out loud since her father's passing two weeks earlier. She still couldn't believe he was really gone. Lauren had never felt so lost and alone in her entire life, but being with Michael again, feeling his strong arms tighten around her protectively, she felt like she was finally home.

"I am so sorry, Lauren." he said compassionately, stroking her back as his warm breath tickled her skin. "If I had known, I would have…"

"It's okay." she interrupted him, abruptly pulling away. Lauren knew what he was going to say and she didn't want to hear it. She didn't want to hear that he would have come back for that. Didn't want to hear that her father's death would have been enough to bring him back to her.

"What happened?" Michael asked, leaning back against the couch cushions to give her some space.

"It was his heart," Lauren sighed, her breath hitching as she reached up to wipe away a few stray tears. "He never really fully recovered from that first attack and when the second one hit last year…" Her voice trailed off as she broke down in tears once more.

"Lauren?" Michael said gently, urging her to continue. She could tell he wanted to touch her again, could feel the heat from his hand as it hovered above her shoulder. But he didn't move, and she was grateful.

"He went in for triple by-pass surgery two weeks ago," Lauren explained, her voice barely above a whisper. "He didn't make it through the operation."

"Oh, sweetie…" he cooed, moving to wrap her in his arms once more.

"Don't." she blurted out sharply, pushing his hands off her shoulders as she stood up abruptly and turned her back to him.

"Sorry." he muttered, running a hand through his hair in frustration. He stayed seated on the couch as she paced the room, eyes darting towards the front door as if trying to find the quickest escape route should he try and touch her again.

"I don't know why I'm here." Lauren admitted, still not looking at him as she stood in the middle of the room with her hands on her hips.

"I think you do." he argued confidently, getting up from the couch and moving to stand directly in front of her so that she had no choice but to meet his gaze.

"Don't flatter yourself, Michael." she snarled angrily, rolling her eyes at his audacity. "I got over you a long time ago."

"And yet here you are." Michael pointed out, smiling at her knowingly.

"Asshole." she hissed and if looks could kill, he'd be a dead man. Grabbing her purse off the couch , Lauren began marching towards the front door.

"Lauren, wait!" he called out desperately as he reached out and grabbed her by the arm to prevent her from leaving. She whipped around, glaring at him in contempt.

"I'm sorry..."

"Stop apologizing!" she screamed demandingly, pulling her arm out of his grip. He closed his eyes in regret and some of her anger subsided when she saw how utterly defeated he looked. "Just stop." she pleaded, her voice losing some of its edge.

"You may not know why you're here," Michael said quietly after a few moments of tense silence, slowly opening his tear filled eyes to gaze at her compassionately. "But I'm glad you are."

"I need a lawyer." she blurted out, suddenly remembering part of the reason why she had sought him out after all these years.

"What?" he asked in confusion, motioning for her to sit back down on the couch. "Why?"

"My father left everything to me in his will." Lauren explained, her voice completely void of emotion as she gingerly sat back down, clutching her purse in one hand and her keys in the other. "His company, the house, all of it."

"Understandably. You are his only child." Michael nodded, sitting down in one of the antique wing chairs that framed the room's large oak fireplace. Lauren sighed in relief, needing to put a little distance between them. She hadn't expected her treacherous body to respond to his nearness so immediately, as though they'd only been apart for five minutes rather than five years.

"So, you need someone to handle the distribution of your father's estate?" Michael asked curiously, interrupting her wayward thoughts.

"Not quite." Lauren replied, nervously tucking a strand of newly colored hair behind her ear. "Fenmore's board of directors are opposing my father's decision to appoint me CEO of the company." she explained, sighing warily as she thought about the legal battle ahead of her. "They don't think I'm qualified."

"Well your father obviously thought you were, and I happen to agree with him." Michael replied confidently, his faith in her unwavering. She felt her heart swell at his words, then quickly reminded herself that he had broken her heart just as easily as he was now trying to mend it. She wouldn't fall for his lies again.

"Thanks." Lauren muttered in response, her gaze focused on some point passed his shoulder. "So, will you help me?"

"Me?" he said incredulously, eyes growing wide with astonishment. "Lauren I…"

"Yes or no, Michael." she interrupted him sharply, eager to wrap things up so that she could leave and go back to hating his guts, something she was finding it almost impossible to do while in his presence.

"I'm not licensed to practice law yet." Michael explained regretfully, rubbing the bridge of his nose in frustration..

"Well, when will you be?" Lauren asked impatiently..

"Tomorrow if I pass the bar exam." he replied, glancing up at her warily. "But Lauren…"

"What?" she bit out sharply, glaring at him in accusation. "You don't want to represent me?"

"It's not that, I'm just…" he sighed, gazing at her apprehensively from across the room. "I'm just not sure you should trust someone as inexperienced as me to handle your case." Michael reasoned. "I'd never be able to forgive myself if I lost."

"Then don't lose." she replied nonchalantly.

"Lauren…"

"Please, Michael." she cut him off, eyes pleading with him to concede. "You're the only one I trust with this." He glanced up at her then, a look of hope crossing his face.

"Why?" he asked in bewilderment, his voice barely above a whisper. _When you love someone so completely, it's almost impossible to stop. No matter how badly they may hurt you._ Her father's words invaded her consciousness and she shivered at the memory. Neil may have been foolish enough to love Joanna unconditionally, but Lauren was determined not to make the same mistake.

"Your career was obviously more important to you than our relationship, and this is a high profile case, one that will give you an opportunity to carve out a reputation for yourself as a successful attorney." Lauren declared rationally, her voice cold and emotionless. "You're ruthless, Michael. And I know you'll do whatever it takes to win."

"You really think that's why I did it?" he whispered incredulously, shaking his head in disbelief. "You really think that's why I left?"

"I don't particularly care at this point in time, Michael." Lauren replied nonchalantly. "The only thing that matters to me now is gaining control of my company so that I can honor my father's wishes." she could tell by the pained expression on his face that he was hurting, but she didn't care. For five long years she'd mourned the death of their love. His pain was nothing compared to the constant ache in her heart that she was forced to live with day after day, an ache that he had caused the day he selfishly decided to cut her out of his life for good. He had no idea what real pain was.

"So are you gonna help me or not?" Lauren asked impatiently when his silence finally became unbearable. Michael rubbed a hand over his eyes, wiping away the moisture there. She was about to repeat the question, when finally he spoke.

"Okay, I'll do it." Michael agreed, his voice hoarse with unshed tears and she almost broke when she saw the look of hopelessness on his face. "I'll be your lawyer."

"Good." she nodded with finality, anxious to leave now that she had gotten her desired response from him. "I'll have the details of the case faxed to you over the next few days and we'll discuss your fee at a later date."

"Lauren…" he called out to her pleadingly, but she ignored him. Standing up from the couch, she briskly made her way towards the front door.

"I need to get going, so just…"

"Lauren, please don't leave like this." Michael whispered fiercely, getting up from his seat and moving to stand between her and the door, effectively blocking her exit. "Stay for dinner."

"I can't." Lauren replied dismissively, staring at his chest because she couldn't bare to meet his gaze.

"Why not?" Michael asked insistently.

"I have plans." she lied.

"Cancel them." he reasoned, determined to get her to stay. She looked up at him then, her expression cold and unforgiving.

"No." Lauren said defensively, flinging her purse over her shoulder and glaring at him impatiently. "You need to study for your exam tomorrow. I'd just be in the way." She could tell he was about to protest, but something in her expression must have warned him against it.

"How long will you be in town for?" he asked, visibly deflating.

"I'm leaving for Genoa City tomorrow morning." she informed him casually. "Actually, I might try and fly out tonight if I can catch the red eye."

"I wish you wouldn't…" he began to say, his voice trailing off as he sighed in frustration. "Will I see you again before you leave?"

"I don't know." Lauren said quietly, her eyes darting away from his uncomfortably. "Maybe."

"Well, I'll be here." he declared, offering her a warm smile as he reluctantly moved out of the way so that she could leave. Lauren's gaze locked with his and for the first time she noticed his eyes, _really_ noticed them. Even though there were a few more lines on his face and his hairline was slowly beginning to recede, his eyes were still the same vibrant brown that they had been when they first met. Lauren's throat tightened with emotion and she looked away.

"Goodbye, Michael." she whispered, quickly stepping passed him and walking out the door.

"See you soon." he called out after her defiantly, resurrecting their 'no goodbyes' pact. You're five years too late Michael, Lauren thought to herself bitterly. But when she looked over her shoulder and saw the hopeful smile plastered on his gorgeous face, she found herself unconsciously smiling back.

_When you love someone so completely, it's almost impossible to stop_.

Lauren continued down the walkway, feeling as though a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Maybe she wasn't so unlike her father afterall.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Mrs. Everett?" Lauren called out tentatively as she knocked on the door of the small cottage. After her conversation with Michael, Lauren got in her rental car and drove around aimlessly for a few hours, taking in the familiar sights and sounds of the city she had spent so much of her childhood in. Eventually, she ended up back at her family's cottage, but she just couldn't bring herself to go inside. Not yet. Not when even just the thought of being surrounded by her father's things caused tears to spring to her eyes.

And so that's how she had found herself standing on her elderly neighbor's porch at six o'clock in the evening, frantically knocking on the worn oak door and getting nothing but silence in response.

"Mrs. Everett? It's me, Lauren." she announced, ringing the doorbell this time. Still there was no answer. Brow furrowed in concern, Lauren quietly entered the small home. The door wasn't locked, it never was. Walking through the dimly lit hallway, she heard the sound of voices coming from somewhere to her right. Stepping through the beaded curtain into the cluttered living room, Lauren discovered that the television had been left on, the voices she had heard earlier belonging to Archie and Edith Bunker. Switching off the tv, Lauren surveyed the room. A tray table sat in front of the couch with a bowl of rapidly cooling soup on its even surface. It was unlike the older woman to leave the room in such a mess, for as long as Lauren had known her she'd always kept her home in immaculate condition.

Lauren couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.

"Mrs. Everett?" she called out again, making her way towards the kitchen when she heard the sound of water running in the distance. Picking up her pace, Lauren walked briskly through the empty dining room as the sound grew louder, more insistent. And when she rounded the corner and entered the brightly lit kitchen, she gasped at what she saw.

"Oh my God," Lauren screamed, dropping to her knees beside the pale and lifeless body of her former nanny. Mrs. Everett lay motionless on the linoleum floor, a pool of soapy water surrounding her from the rapidly overflowing sink. Lauren reached out and cupped the older woman's face in her hands, her skin felt cold and clammy. Lauren shuddered.

"Mrs. Everett?" she whispered pleadingly, tears spilling down her face as she looked down into the lifeless eyes of the kindhearted woman who had meant so much to her. "Please wake up. _Please_." But she was already gone, her heart having ceased its beating long before Lauren stopped by to say hello.

And now she'd never get the chance to say goodbye.

Using the sleeve of her blazer to wipe away the tears in her eyes, Lauren stood up slowly and leaned forward to turn off the faucet. Then, as if in a daze, she carefully stepped over the body and reached for the phone.

"911. What is your emergency?"

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

High blood sugar. That was the unofficial cause of death according to the ME's initial assessment of the body. Apparently, Mrs. Everett had diabetes. Type A diabetes to be exact, a condition that required her to inject herself daily with measured doses of insulin - something she had apparently forgotten to do that day. The lack of medication coupled with her high sugar intake had resulted in a diabetic seizure that claimed her life. She likely would have survived if she'd gotten to the hospital in time. If she hadn't been alone. If Lauren had gotten there just a few minutes earlier…

"Are you related to the deceased?" The inquisitive voice of a young police officer interrupted her thoughts. Lauren turned to meet his curious gaze, crossing her arms in front of her chest defensively.

"Uh, no. She is…" Past tense, Lauren reminded herself mournfully. Just like your father. Just like everything. "She _was _an old friend of mine."

"Do you happen to know if she has any family in the area?" he asked, offering her a warm smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "We need to contact her next of kin."

"The only family she ever mentioned was her husband, John Everett. But he passed away years ago." Lauren explained, her voice catching in her throat as she caught a glimpse of the coroner placing Mrs. Everett into a body bag. "Look, can we do this later? I'm just…"

"Of course" The officer said compassionately, reaching into his pocket and handing her a business card. "Call me if you think of anything else. Or even if you just need someone to talk to."

"Thanks." Lauren nodded, offering him a weak smile. Out of the corner of her eye she saw that they were preparing to load the body onto a stretcher and wave of nausea hit her unexpectedly. She had to get out of there.

"Excuse me." Lauren whispered as she brushed passed the officer and ran into the nearest empty room, slamming the door closed behind her.

It was dark in the room, but Lauren could make out a large queen sized bed directly in front of her. Sighing, she collapsed on top of the mattress. The sheets still smelled of Mrs. Everett's perfume and Lauren took comfort in the familiar scent, burying her face in the pillow she was now clutching tightly to her chest. She could hear the police and paramedics moving around outside the bedroom door and she covered her ears to block out the sound. The tears came then, spilling down her face in an endless stream and soaking into the warn pillow case beneath her head. She cried for Mrs. Everett, she cried for her father. She cried because it was the only thing she had the strength left to do.

Closing her eyes, Lauren tried to conjure up memories of the benevolent older woman who had been more of a mother to her than Joanna ever was. Their trips to Lafreniere Park were some of Lauren's fondest memories from her childhood. She remembered one day in particular when she had ruined her ivory colored church dress while carelessly jumping into the murky water in search of her most prized possession…

"_What's that you've got in your hand, dear?" Mrs. Everett asked in amusement when she found the little girl seated Indian style underneath a large oak tree beside the pond._

"_A toad." Lauren replied, grinning up at her triumphantly. "I've been trying to catch one all day and I finally got one."_

"_Well, now that you have him, what are you going to do with him?" The older woman asked curiously, sitting down on the ground directly behind her._

"_I dunno," Lauren shrugged, moving closer to her nanny so that she could reach her head. "Nothin' I guess."_

"_I thought maybe you wanted to give him a kiss." Mrs. Everett suggested, untying Lauren's loose ponytail and parting the long strands of auburn hair with her finger tips._

"_Why would I want to kiss a toad?" Lauren said incredulously, giggling as if it were the most absurd thing she had ever heard._

"_To see if he'd turn into a prince of course." Mrs. Everett replied nonchalantly, her hands deftly twisting the little girl's hair into a long French braid. "Isn't that what every princess wants? To marry a prince?"_

"_Not me," Lauren replied, scrunching her nose up in disgust. She'd rather kiss a toad than marry a boring old prince. "I don't want him to turn into a prince. I think he's cute just the way he is."_

"_Princess Lauren and the Toad," Mrs. Everett said wistfully, tying a rubber band around the end of the braid to keep it from unwinding. "Doesn't sound like a very conventional fairytale to me."_

"_I like it." Lauren smiled, slowly opening the palm of her hand to take a peek at the small creature she was still holding onto protectively._

"_Me too." Mrs. Everett agreed, placing a gentle kiss on her forehead as the two of them watched the toad leap from Lauren's open palm and disappear into the tall blades of grass that surrounded them._

She had spent the rest of the afternoon trying to catch another toad, but to no avail. She realized now that she never should have let him go in the first place.

Lauren gingerly sat up in bed, her tears having subsided for the time being. It was eerily quiet in the house now and she surmised that the emergency crews must have left. Running her fingers through her hair to try and return it to some semblance of order, she stood up from the bed and was preparing to leave when something on the nightstand caught her attention.

It was a diary.

Lauren knew she shouldn't read it. She had no right to read it. But then she remembered that the police needed to locate her next of kin to inform them of her passing and perhaps Mrs. Everett had written something in her diary about her family that Lauren could pass along to the authorities. So with that rationale in mind, Lauren picked up the warn leather notebook and flipped it open to the first page.

She was immediately puzzled by the name that was written underneath the heading 'This Diary Belongs To:'.

"Florence _Baldwin_-Everett?" Lauren read out loud, her voice catching on the familiar surname. Surely it was just a coincidence. But as Lauren scanned through the rest of the pages, she read detailed accounts of a young girl who got pregnant out of wedlock and was disowned by her father. She absorbed the tale of a young single mother whose only son had left home at the age of eighteen to go and live up north in Detroit, the same son she hadn't heard from again until decades later when she had tracked him down and offered him her late father's fortune that she had no desire to obtain.

"Oh my God." Lauren gasped, shaking her head in disbelief. If the stories she was reading were true, then that would mean that her childhood nanny, Florence Baldwin-Everett was the daughter of William Baldwin and the mother of Lowell Baldwin.

She was also Michael's grandmother.

Too stunned to even speak, Lauren threw the diary into her purse and headed out the door.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


	21. Chapter Twenty

-1**Chapter Twenty:**

"_You went away, cuz you said you couldn't love me. I went away, cuz all I do is love you." _

- Tegan & Sara 'You Went Away'

Knocking loudly on the familiar front door, Lauren anxiously waited for the butler to let her in. She had driven over to the Baldwin Estate in record time, ignoring the speed limit as she raced to tell Michael the news of his grandmother's untimely passing. She was still trying to wrap her brain around the fact that Mrs. Everett had once been Miss. Baldwin. In all the years that she had known her, the older woman had never talked about her family and now Lauren knew why. She had been abandoned by her father and ignored by her son. If only she had gotten a chance to know Michael better, Lauren mused regretfully. Family meant everything to him and she was positive that having someone like Michael as a grandson would have meant the world to Florence.

Just one more missed opportunity…

"Lauren?" A deep voice interrupted her thoughts. She looked up to see a familiar pair of green eyes staring back at her.

"Kevin?" she gasped in recognition, her gaze raking over his lanky frame. "My God, look at you! You're so grown up."

"And you're so…blonde." he replied teasingly and Lauren was relieved to discover that while things between her and Michael remained tense, being around Kevin again felt as comfortable as putting on an old sweater.

"I needed a change." Lauren shrugged, still grinning at his blunt assessment of her latest hairstyle. Truth be told, she missed her natural auburn locks. But her father's death had prompted Lauren to make more than a few drastic changes in her life. Like her decision to drop everything and catch the first flight out to New Orleans in order to meet with a man she had promised herself never to speak to again.

"Well, you look good." Kevin declared, a sly grin on his face that she didn't recall ever seeing before back when he was still a shy and precocious little boy. "I mean, in a Malibu Barbie kinda way..."

"Malibu Barbie?!" Lauren gaped in righteous indignation, her mood temporarily improving as she chuckled at the young teen's insult. "C'mere and gimmie a hug you little jerk."

"Oh man, I've missed you." Kevin admitted, his chin resting atop her shoulder as they embraced. At thirteen, the once scrawny little kid was now a good two inches taller than Lauren.

"I've missed you too," Lauren sighed, not realizing just how much until now. They pulled apart and Lauren discreetly reached up to wipe away the moisture in her eyes before changing the subject. "So, what's up? Your brother tells me you've got a girlfriend now."

"Mikey needs to get a life," Kevin replied, rolling his eyes in annoyance. "She's not my girlfriend."

"Whatever you say." Lauren teased, enjoying how easy it was to get under his skin. "Speaking of your brother, is he here? I really need to speak with him."

"Uh, yeah. He's upstairs in the study." Kevin replied, although somewhat reluctantly.

"Great." she grinned, moving past him to enter the house.

"Lauren, wait!" Kevin called out after her and Lauren could hear his footsteps following close behind as she took the stairs two at a time. "Now isn't really a good time. He's studying for his bar exam tomorrow."

"I know," Lauren replied distractedly, not even bothering to slow down as she made her way towards the closed office doors. "Don't worry, I just have something important to tell him and then I'll be out of his way."

"But he's…" Kevin started to warn her, stopping when she opened the door and two pairs of eyes turned to look at them in surprise. "…with someone."

Lauren wasn't prepared for the scene playing out in front of her.

Michael was seated behind his cluttered desk, papers and textbooks of various sizes strewn across the polished oak surface. There wasn't a clear space to be found on the large table, except of course for where a leggy brunette sat perched atop the edge of his desk with her legs crossed flirtatiously in front of Michael's face. He looked like a deer caught in headlights as his gaze shifted between the two women, lips opening before quickly closing again and Lauren could tell that he was trying to come up with something to say.

The brunette beat him to it.

"Hello," the young woman said cheerfully, moving away from the desk and smoothing her skirt down as she sauntered over to where Lauren stood in the doorway. "Have we met before?"

"No." Lauren replied immediately, her gaze still focused on Michael.

"Are you sure?" the brunette asked more insistently and Lauren met her scrutinizing gaze with a look of annoyance. "You look terribly familiar."

"Lauren," Michael finally managed to choke out, getting up from his seat and moving to stand beside the two women. "I didn't think I'd be seeing you again tonight."

"Obviously not." Lauren muttered under her breath.

An uncomfortable silence settled over the room then. Lauren could tell that Michael was staring at her, his eyes pleading with her to understand, but she refused to meet his gaze. Sighing, Lauren glanced back over her shoulder at the open door. She had to get out of there.

"Uh, Rachel Martin this is Lauren Fenmore." Michael said and Lauren noted that he sounded rather desperate - afraid even. Obviously he could sense her desire to flee and was trying to stall. "Lauren Fenmore, Rachel Martin."

"_Fenmore_," Rachel repeated, a look of realization crossing her face as she finally made the connection. "So that's where I recognize you from. Your father owns that chain of department stores."

"Yes," Lauren replied, her voice barely above a whisper. "He did."

"Rachel, I'm sorry but I'll have to cut things short." Michael interjected, his attention focused on the other woman now and Lauren took the opportunity to discreetly take a few steps back. "Lauren and I need to --"

"No, don't worry about it." she cut him off, continuing her hasty retreat. "I was just leaving."

"But you just got here." Michael reasoned with her pleadingly, but she kept on walking.

"Yes, and now I'm leaving." Lauren said firmly before turning her attention to the other woman and offering her a forced smile. "Rachel, it was nice to meet you."

"Likewise." the brunette replied, looking at Lauren quizzically as she fled the room. Brushing passed Kevin, she bolted down the stairs, never once looking back.

"Lauren!" Michael called out after her. "Lauren, wait!"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"What was that all about?" Rachel asked in confusion, momentarily drawing Michael's attention away from chasing after her.

"Uh, I'm sorry Rachel, but I'll have to cut our study session short." he apologized distractedly, eager to leave so that he could catch up with Lauren before she got away.

"But…" Rachel started to protest, but he cut her off.

"Good luck tomorrow, okay?" he said empathetically, offering her an apologetic smile before fleeing the room. He grabbed Kevin by the elbow on his way down the stairs, leaning in close so as not to be overheard.

"Get rid of her, please." Michael hissed, motioning towards the study.

"Sure thing, bro." Kevin agreed, watching as his big brother ran down the stairs and out the door.

She was already half way towards the front gate by the time Michael stepped out onto the front porch. It was pouring rain out and dark storm clouds filled the previously sun filled sky. Knowing that she would only ignore him if he called out to her again, he silently leapt off the front steps and sprinted down the pathway. He could tell the moment she heard him behind her because she started walking faster, stopping short of actually running away from him and Michael knew it was only because she didn't want to give him the satisfaction.

"Lauren, stop." Michael called out frantically, grabbing hold of her wrist when he finally caught up with her. She finally stopped walking and spun around to glare at him angrily.

"Don't touch me." she hissed, roughly pulling her hand out of his grasp.

"Sorry." he mumbled, stuffing his hands in his pockets and averting her gaze. An uncomfortable silence settled over them then, the tension was almost palpable. Michael hated that things were so strained between them. He had imagined their reunion a million different times over the years and none of the scenarios had prepared him for this distance that existed between them now. He knew he could fix things though. He just needed more time.

"No, I'm sorry." Lauren sighed, finally breaking the tense silence and Michael was relieved when he saw her eyes soften a little. "I don't know what got into me back there."

"She's just a friend --" he tried to explain, but she cut him off.

"Doesn't matter. It's none of my business, really." Lauren claimed, but Michael could tell by her behavior that she was lying. "I need to get going. There's a flight back to Genoa City that leaves in two hours."

"I really wish you'd stay." Michael said pleadingly.

"I can't." Lauren replied, shaking her head in refusal.

"Why not?"

"I have a life, Michael." she explained sharply. "And I'm anxious to get back to it."

"I see." he replied slowly, trying not to let his insecurities show. "Is there…are you seeing someone?"

"Why do you care?" Lauren asked, eyebrow raised suspiciously.

"I don't." he lied. The truth was he had spent the last five years trying desperately not to think about the fact that she may have moved on with someone else. He knew it was selfish of him to hope that she had remained single all these years. Lauren had every right to fall in love with someone other than him, but that didn't mean he had to like it.

"I was engaged," she admitted and Michael tried like hell not to cringe. "But it didn't work out."

"Why not?" he asked curiously, praying that he didn't look as relieved as he felt. It was then that he noticed the way her eyes darted away from his uncomfortably and he realized he may have overstepped. "Lauren, I'm sorry --"

"It's okay," she interrupted, offering him a reassuring smile. "He was a great guy, but I just…I couldn't see myself spending the rest of my life with him."

"Forever's a long time." Michael declared knowingly as he nodded his head in agreement. "But when you're with the right person, it doesn't seem like long enough."

"Michael --" she sighed in frustration and he rushed to continue.

"I never stopped thinking about you." he admitted truthfully, eyes searching her face for any sign of affection - of forgiveness.

"I find that hard to believe." Lauren bit out snidely, daring him to contradict her. "Seems to me you've been able to keep yourself occupied."

"I told you, she's just a friend." Michael tried again to explain. "I was helping her study for the bar exam tomorrow."

"You don't owe me an explanation." she replied dismissively, tucking a wayward strand of hair behind her ear. Impulsively, Michael reached out and grabbed a hold of her hand, pleasantly surprised when she didn't pull away.

"Yes, I do. But not about Rachel," he explained, lightly rubbing her palm with the pad of his thumb. "I want you to know why I did it."

"It doesn't matter anymore, Michael." Lauren sighed, pulling her hand out of his grasp. "It was a long time ago, I'm over it."

"No you're not." he argued knowingly, smiling at her before continuing. "Lauren, what you and I shared…" he paused, throat closing as he was overcome with emotion. "It was a once in a lifetime kind of thing."

"Must not have been that great since you walked away from me so easily." Lauren muttered, crossing her arms in front of her chest defiantly.

"You think it was easy?" Michael said incredulously. "Lauren, letting you go was the hardest thing I've ever had to do."

"Then why'd you do it?" she challenged.

"Because I loved you too much not to," he replied, sighing in frustration when he realized his reasoning had fallen on deaf ears. He'd need to try a different approach. "Lauren, we were young and you had just gotten accepted to NYU, I was starting law school here in New Orleans and I just --"

"Couldn't be bothered to pick up the phone every once in a while?" she interrupted sarcastically.

"I was worried that our relationship would be too much of a distraction." he explained truthfully. "For both of us." Lauren visibly softened at his words, giving Michael the courage to continue. "So I figured it would be in your best interest if I made a clean break."

"And what the hell gave you the right to make that decision?" Lauren hissed angrily, glaring at him in contempt.

"It seemed like the right thing to do at the time," he explained meekly, realizing how pathetic he sounded. "You can't tell me you didn't enjoy your time in New York."

"It was amazing," Lauren agreed. "But it would have been even better if I hadn't of spent the majority of my freshman year wondering if I'd ever hear from you again."

"I should have called," he said admittedly. "I should have explained to you why we couldn't be together."

"Yeah, you damn well should have." Lauren muttered, running a hand through her hair in frustration and Michael was surprised to see that their were tears in her eyes. She offered him a sad smile. "We could have found a way to make it work ya know."

"Maybe," he shrugged. "Maybe not."

"Unless of course you wanted this," Lauren said suddenly, eyes widening in realization. "Maybe you wanted to break up with me and the whole 'long distance' thing gave you the perfect excuse to leave me without having to feel guilty about it."

"Lauren," Michael sighed in frustration. "You know that's not true."

"I don't know anything anymore." she admitted softly, her voice barely above a whisper. Michael watched curiously as her anger was replaced with a look of despair.

"This isn't just about us, is it?" Michael said knowingly, a gentle smile playing across his lips, coaxing her to continue. Her eyes nervously darted up to meet his gaze and Michael could tell she was trying to decide whether or not to open up to him.

"I feel so alone," she sighed, her voice hitching slightly in her throat. "Everyone I care about keeps leaving me. You, my father, Mrs. Everett…"

"_Mrs. Everett_," Michael repeated the name wistfully. "That's a name I haven't heard in a while. I've been meaning to go and visit her, but something always comes up." Lauren nodded distractedly and Michael noticed that her lower lip had begun to tremble. She turned away from him slightly, taking a deep breath to try and calm her nerves.

"What happened?" Michael asked curiously, unnerved by Lauren's nervous behavior. "Did she move away or something?"

"No," Lauren shook her head, tears streaming down her face, mixing with the rain still cascading down around them. "She's dead, Michael."

"Dead." he blurted out in surprise. "How?"

"She had diabetes and there was an issue with her insulin --" Lauren rushed to explain, pausing to catch her breath. "It doesn't matter now, she's just…she's just gone."

"When did she pass away?" Michael asked gently after she had had a moment to compose herself.

"Earlier today," Lauren whispered, reaching up to wipe at the tears in her eyes. "I went to go and visit her after I left your house and I found her lying on the kitchen floor…"

"Lauren?" he said gently, urging her to continue.

"I was too late. She wasn't breathing," Lauren explained, her eyes eerily void of emotion. "I was too late." She was trembling now, the rain having thoroughly soaked her to the bone. With mascara running down her face and clothes clinging wetly to her body, she looked like a drowned rat. An adorable drowned rat.

"C'mere." Michael cooed gently, wrapping her up in his embrace. She was reluctant at first, but he was relieved when he finally felt her relax against him.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered quietly, running his hands up and down her back in an effort to comfort her. "I know how much she meant to you."

"Michael, there's…there's something I need to tell you." Lauren said abruptly as she pulled away from him and their eyes met. He felt a shudder run through her as she licked her lips and prepared to speak. "Mrs. Everett wasn't just my nanny, she was --"

"You're shivering," he interrupted, rubbing her arms to try and warm her up. "Why don't we go back inside to dry up a bit?"

"No, I need to tell you something…" Lauren replied insistently.

"Fine. You can tell me inside where it's warm and dry." he reasoned.

"I dunno, Michael…" Lauren sighed, glancing back at the house reluctantly.

"Come on, I promise to be on my best behavior." Michael promised, trying not to laugh when she raised her eyebrow skeptically. He decided to try a different tactic. "Rupert makes some mean hot chocolate."

"With marshmellows?" she asked timidly, the corners of her lips lifting slightly.

"Naturally." he grinned.

"Okay," Lauren sighed. "But I can't stay long."

"Great," Michael exclaimed, his smile growing broader. "Now come on before we both catch pneumonia." And with that Michael grabbed hold of her hand and eagerly lead her back towards the house.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"I should have known," Michael choked out in remorse, his voice muffled slightly as his face remained buried in the palm of his hands. "How could I not have known that she was my grandmother?"

"How could you have known, Michael? Mrs. Everett didn't even make the connection herself," Lauren reasoned, trying to comfort him as best she could. "As far as any of us knew, the only connection the two of you shared was through me."

"Yeah," he sighed wistfully, raising his gaze to meet hers and she was taken aback by the intensity of his eyes. Had they always been so brown? So remorseful? "And that's why…"

"That's why what?" Lauren asked, gently prodding him to continue when his voice caught in his throat. He remained silent, lips opening and closing as he struggled to find the right words to say. "Michael…"

"That's why I could never bring myself to go and visit her." he confessed finally and Lauren had to bite her lip to stop from crying when she saw the pained expression on his face. "Being around Mrs. Everett again, being in that _house_…" all at once the memories hit her like a speeding truck and Lauren had to stop herself from reaching out to touch him. "It would've all come flooding back to me and I knew that there was nothing on this earth that would have been able to stop me from jumping on the first flight out to New York."

A tense silence settled over the room then. They were seated side by side on the warn leather couch, inches away but miles apart. There was so much that Lauren wanted to say to him, so much that needed to be said. But every time she opened her mouth to speak, the words died on her lips. She glanced over at Michael and saw that he too was struggling to give voice to the myriad of emotions playing out across his face.

"I missed you," Lauren sighed, so softly that she wasn't sure he had heard her until she noted the way his already moist eyes began to water at her words. "So much."

"I missed you too," he admitted, a tear escaping and slowly falling down his cheek. "You have no idea how hard it was for me not to see you anymore."

"Michael," Lauren sighed, finally giving into the overwhelming urge to touch him as she reached out and cupped his face in the palm of her hand. A familiar pool of warmth gathered in the pit of her stomach when she felt him place a gentle kiss on the sensitive skin of her wrist.

"I'm such an idiot." he groaned, his own hand reaching out to lightly comb through the blonde strands of her newly colored hair.

"You'll get no argument from me," Lauren said teasingly, trying not to purr in contentment as he continued to pet her head. God, she'd missed this. Nothing and no one had ever made her feel as loved or as cherished as she felt when Michael touched her like this.

"I thought I was doing the right thing," he reasoned, shaking his head in regret. "I thought…"

"You thought wrong, Michael." she admonished, quickly twining her fingers through his before continuing. "After everything we went through together, how could you possibly think that I'd be better off without you in my life?" she questioned, the smile on her face faltering slightly as realization dawned. "Or maybe you thought you'd be better off without me in yours…"

"Lauren, you know that's not true." he assured her sincerely and Lauren found herself blinking back tears as she watched him bring her hand up to his lips. "Before I met you…well, you know what I was like."

"You were wonderful," she whispered loving, stroking his cheek with the pad of her thumb. "A diamond in the rough."

"That's one way to put it," he chuckled and the sound of his easy laughter made her insides melt. "Lauren, you are the best thing that ever happened to me and I think that maybe…maybe that's why I did it. Maybe that's why I left."

"What do you mean?" Lauren asked, not following his reasoning.

"I couldn't bare the thought of losing you, so I guess I just…left you before you came to your senses and left me."

"Oh, Michael." Lauren sighed in frustration, the smile on her lips betraying the look of disapproval in her eyes. "How on earth did someone as dense as yourself make it through law school?"

"I ask myself that everyday." he chuckled.

"Seriously, Michael." Lauren said sternly, grabbing hold of his chin to ensure that she had his undivided attention. "The next time you decide to take it upon yourself to make any life altering decisions based on your adorable, yet extremely misguided insecurities - don't."

"Next time?" Michael said hopefully, eyes twinkling with excitement. "Does that mean you're willing to give me another chance?"

"Maybe." Lauren said teasingly, but then her smile faded when the seriousness of the situation hit her. "You really hurt me, Michael."

"I know," he said admittedly, gripping her hand a little tighter as he pleaded his case. "And there isn't a day that goes by that I don't kick myself for being such an idiot, but Lauren…" he slid off the couch and crouched down on bended knee in front of her. Lauren gaped at him in shock, eyes watering at the sincerity in his voice. "If you give me another chance I swear to you that I will spend the rest of my life trying to make you happy."

"You already do make me happy, Michael. Unbelievably, deliriously happy and that's why I can't…" she ran a hand through her hair in frustration, her breath catching in her throat as she tried to regain her composure before continuing. "Just promise me you won't leave, okay? Never again."

"Never again." he agreed, his own voice sounding hoarse as he reached up and cupped her face in his hands. Gazing into his eyes, Lauren slowly ran the tip of her tongue across lips that had suddenly become dry with anticipation. She watched as his gaze dropped to her mouth and when he leaned forward to kiss her, she met him half way. Lauren expected that kissing Michael again for the first time in five years would be at least a little awkward. She expected their noses to bump or their teeth to clash.

What she didn't expect was for kissing Michael again for the first time in five years to be as natural as breathing.

"Why does this still feel so right?" Lauren sighed, tearing her lips away from his reluctantly so that she could look into his eyes. He was gazing up at her like a lovesick puppy and she smiled in contentment. "After all these years…"

"We're meant to be together, Lauren." he declared, smiling confidently as he reached up to tuck a wayward strand of hair behind her ear. "I mean, come on. What are the odds of your childhood nanny turning out to be my long lost grandmother?"

"I guess it must be fate." Lauren agreed, already moving to kiss him again.

"Must be." Michael sighed, his voice muffled by her lips as she sealed her mouth over his in an earth shattering kiss. Curled up together on the couch, they spent what felt like hours making up for lost time by letting their lips get reacquainted. But as their lengthy makeout session began to heat up, Lauren was quickly reminded that they weren't teenagers anymore. As much as she loved kissing Michael, she couldn't be satisfied with just that. Not when she knew what else they could be doing…

"Lauren," Michael groaned against her lips, tearing his mouth away from her's only long enough to give voice to the undeniable attraction that was threatening to consume them both. "I know this is really presumptuous of me, and after everything that's happened we should probably take things slow but…"

"Yes, Michael." Lauren agreed, smiling against his lips. "I'll stay."

Happily ever after never tasted so sweet.

The End


End file.
